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
Greenland is thought to be home to a wealth of untapped mineral resources, including coal, zinc, copper, iron ore, diamonds and oil, though only small portions of the island have been explored, in part due to its harsh conditions as it’s predominantly covered by ice and glaciers. Sara Dorn, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025 The mining and smelting process involved melting down galena, an ore of lead that produced thousands of ounces of lead during the process. Zack Budryk, The Hill, 6 Jan. 2025 China’s dominance of rare earth processing is such that even MP Materials Corp., the parent company that controls the Mountain Pass mining and processing operations, sends some of its ore to China for processing. IEEE Spectrum, 27 Dec. 2024 In the 'Copper State,' growing demand for ore raises fears in the fragile Sky Islands: The region is not just rich in wildlife and habitat, but in minerals and metals. Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 23 Dec. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near ore

Cite this Entry

“Ore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ore. Accessed 21 Jan. 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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