# ore

/ˈɔɹ/ (US) · /ˈɔː/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ore
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. mining material

noun · CEFR B2

rock or earth that contains metal or other valuable minerals.

For teachers: a naturally occurring mineral or rock from which a metal or valuable mineral can be extracted for profit.

- The miners spent all day digging for iron ore deep underground.
- The profitability of the mine depends entirely on the concentration of copper within the raw ore extracted from the primary vein.

### 3. seaweed

noun · CEFR C2 · Dialect · Archaic

a type of seaweed that washes up on the beach.

For teachers: seaweed, particularly that which has been washed ashore; primarily found in specific regional contexts.

- After the storm, the beach was covered in thick piles of ore.
- Local farmers traditionally collected the ore from the shoreline to use as a natural fertiliser for their coastal fields.

## Examples

- The miners found a rich vein of iron ore in the mountain.
- The factory processes thousands of tons of raw ore every day to produce pure aluminum.
- Geological surveys indicate that the region contains significant deposits of high-grade copper ore, though the environmental costs of extraction remain a subject of intense local debate.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.