ore
gb/ˈɔɹ/ us/ˈɔɹ/
B2
English
~ 8000
érc, kincsesbánya
NOUN
B2
TECHNICAL
1
érc
B2
Usage pattern:
ore deposits of [metal]; [type] ore
The region is known for its rich iron ore deposits.
A régió gazdag vasérclelőhelyeiről ismert.
After the ore is brought to the surface, it is crushed and processed to extract the metal.
Miután az ércet a felszínre hozzák, összezúzzák és feldolgozzák, hogy kinyerjék belőle a fémet.
Falling copper prices have made it less profitable to mine low-grade ore.
New technology allows companies to recover gold from ore that was once considered too poor to mine.
The geologist took samples of the ore to analyze its metal content.
Learner examples
They found iron ore deep under the ground.
Mélyen a föld alatt vasércet találtak.
The factory uses ore from a mine in the mountains.
A gyár a hegyekben lévő bányából származó ércet használja fel.
Workers heat the ore to get the metal out.
This rock has no ore, so it is not useful for mining.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "ore" with the conjunction "or" because they sound similar, but they are completely different words. Another mistake is to use "ore" for any rock; in English, "ore" is only used when the rock has enough metal or valuable material to be worth mining.
Meaning
rock containing useful metal
Collocations
iron ore
|copper ore
|gold ore
|rich ore deposits
|ore body
|ore mine
Synonyms
metal-bearing rock (More explicit and descriptive; less common as a fixed term.)
|
mineral (Broader; not all minerals are ores, but in mining contexts it can overlap.)
|
raw material (General industry term; includes many materials, not just metal-rich rock.)
Antonyms
refined metal (Refers to metal that has already been extracted and purified, the opposite stage of ore.)
|
waste rock (Rock removed during mining that does not contain enough valuable material to be treated as ore.)
Themes
science
|industry
|environment
|nature
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Rock or mineral that has enough metal or other valuable material in it to be taken from the ground and used.
Rock or mineral from which metal or other valuable substances can be profitably extracted.
C1
LITERARY
2
kincsesbánya
C1
Usage pattern:
an ore of [abstract noun]
The archive proved to be an unexpected ore of personal letters and diaries.
Az archívum a személyes levelek és naplók váratlan kincsesbányájának bizonyult.
For the historian, local newspapers are an ore of social detail.
A történész számára a helyi újságok a társadalmi részletek kincsesbányái.
Her childhood experiences became an ore of stories for her later novels.
Learner examples
The old books were an ore of new ideas for him.
A régi könyvek új ötletek kincsesbányáját jelentették számára.
This website is an ore of useful information for students.
Ez a weboldal hasznos információk kincsesbányája a diákok számára.
His travel notes are an ore of funny stories.
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use this figurative sense in everyday speech, but it is rare and sounds literary. In normal conversation, it is more natural to say "a rich source of information" instead of "an ore of information."
Meaning
rich source of value
Collocations
an ore of ideas
|an ore of information
|an ore of inspiration
Synonyms
rich source (Common neutral phrase; lacks the specific mining metaphor of "ore".)
|
treasure trove (More colorful and positive; slightly more informal and strongly evaluative.)
Antonyms
barren source (Describes something that yields almost nothing of value, opposite of a rich ore of ideas or information.)
|
wasteland (Metaphorically suggests a place with no useful or valuable content.)
Themes
metaphor
|literature
|communication
|education
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A person, place, or thing that has a lot of useful or interesting things inside it, like ideas or information, similar to how ore has metal inside it.
A thing, place, or group viewed as containing a large amount of something valuable, especially ideas, information, or talent, in the way ore contains metal.
Grammar
Dictionary form
ore
IPA
GB/ˈɔɹ/
US/ˈɔɹ/
Syllables & stress
ore (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (ore)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: ore
- Plural: ore, ores
Word family
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.