ore

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈȯr 

often attributive

1

: a naturally occurring mineral containing a valuable constituent (such as metal) for which it is mined and worked

2

: a source from which valuable matter is extracted

ore

2 of 4

noun (2)

ˈər-ə 

plural ore

a monetary subunit of the krona (Sweden) and krone see krona, krone at Money Table

Ore

3 of 4

abbreviation

variants or Oreg

Oregon

øre

4 of 4

noun (3)

ˈər-ə 

plural øre

1

: a Danish monetary unit equal to ¹/₁₀₀ krone see krone at Money Table

also : a coin representing one Danish øre

Note: Denmark's Faeroe Islands and Greenland also use an øre.

2

: a Norwegian monetary unit equal to ¹/₁₀₀ krone see krone at Money Table

also : a coin representing one Norwegian øre

Examples of ore in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Both Cleveland-Cliffs and Nippon have pledged to invest in revamping U.S. Steel’s aging mills, and both are also interested in the mines that U.S. Steel owns, which hold vast reserves of iron ore. —Peter Green, Quartz, 27 Jan. 2025

The products made out of this ore were especially vulnerable to global competition, and Ashtabula’s population peaked in 1970. —Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2025

Newly inexpensive lasers are helping turn ore into pure iron for steelmaking using renewable electricity. —Andrew Rosenblum, Popular Science, 26 Dec. 2024

Two iron ore miners, BHP and Rio Tinto, have teamed up with Woodside Energy, a natural gas producer, and steel maker BlueScope, to investigate building an electric arc steel mill powered by renewable electricity. —Tim Treadgold, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English or, oor, partly from Old English ōra ore; partly from Old English ār brass; akin to Old High German ēr bronze, Latin aes copper, bronze

Noun (2)

Swedish öre & Danish & Norwegian øre

Noun (3)

Danish & Norwegian, from Latin aureus a gold coin

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1884, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing ore

• ore dressing

Kids Definition

ore

1 of 2 noun

ˈō(ə)r 

ˈȯ(ə)r

: a mineral mined to obtain a substance that it contains

iron ore

ore

2 of 2 noun

ˈər-ə

plural ore

: a unit of value equal to ¹⁄₁₀₀ krona or ¹⁄₁₀₀ krone

Etymology

Noun

Swedish öre and Danish and Norwegian øre