ore – rock from which metal can be extracted

(pronounced or)

To remember the meaning of ore, use the following mnemonic:

The orc (ore) mined rock and extracted the metal. 

Ore is naturally occurring and formed over millions of years of pressure underground. It contains enough of a particular metal compound to make it worthwhile and profitable to mine and extract the metal from it. This is why not all rocks containing metal are considered ore, because the extraction of the metal wouldn't be considered cost-effective. 

The process of extracting metal from ore is known as smelting, and involves heating the ore to high temperatures in the presence of a reducing agent such as carbon which removes oxygen and reduces impurities, leaving behind the pure molten base metal. 

Mining for ore is an essential first step in the manufacturing process of any product containing metal.