ore

1 of 4

noun (1)

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)

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)

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The average grade of ore has also diminished by around 40% since 1991, BHP says. Scott Neuman, NPR, 16 Mar. 2025 Under a proposal being discussed with industry, an existing government royalty of 10% on the value of nickel ore mined would be replaced by a sliding scale based on the price of ore, starting at 14% and rising to 19%. Tim Treadgold, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025 According to the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, China currently dominates the rare earth supply chain, producing 70 percent of the world's supply and handling 90 percent of global rare earth ore processing. Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 6 Mar. 2025 Certain types of rare earth ores also contain radioactive thorium or uranium, which is often removed using acid. Jason Neely and Eric Onstad, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ore

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of ore was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ore. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

ore

1 of 2 noun
ˈō(ə)r How to pronounce ore (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on ore

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