Etymograph

English

ore

Ore comes from Middle English or.

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500or1
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1846ore1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English ore
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1846, editorial staff, CHEMISTRY: Continued from No. 12: “They general­ly occur in the earth in what are…”.

Earlier history not traced here. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500orWiktionary, English ore
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1846oreWiktionary, English ore. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1846, editorial staff, CHEMISTRY: Continued from No. 12: “They general­ly occur in the earth in what are…”

Linked words

through Middle English or

or

Another origin of ore

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEora
  2. Englishtodayore

Today it means

noun Rock or other material that contains valuable or utilitarian materials; primarily a rock containing metals or gems for which it is typically mined and processed.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “ore”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Middle English or / ore

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