taconite
/ˈtakənʌɪt
/noun [mass noun]
A low-grade iron ore consisting largely of chert, occurring chiefly around Lake Superior in North America.She was loaded with 26,000 tons of taconite at Superior, WI, on Nov.9, 1975 and left the port of Duluth-Superior, at the western end of Lake Superior shortly after 2: 00 p.m. in fair weather but with a foul forecast lying in wait....
- The Mesabi Iron Range contains some 110 miles of small towns built at the turn of the last century along a seam of iron ore called taconite.
- An increasingly important source of iron for commercial uses is taconite, a mixture of hematite and silica.
Origin
Early 20th century: from the name of the Taconic Range of mountains, US, + -ite1.