ore

ore · noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*h₂éyos
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*aiz
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*aiʀ
4. Old English · inherited fromōra“ore, unwrought metal”
5. Middle English · inherited fromor
6. English todayore

From Middle English or, oor, blend of Old English ōra (“ore, unwrought metal”), of uncertain origin, and ār (“brass, copper, bronze”), from Proto-West Germanic *aiʀ, from Proto-Germanic *aiz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éyos. Compare Old Norse eir (“brass, copper”), German ehern (“of metal, of iron”), Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐌶 (aiz, “ore”); also Dutch oer (“ferrous hardpan; bog iron ore”). Compare Latin aes (“bronze, copper”), Avestan 𐬀𐬌𐬌𐬀𐬵 (aiiah), Sanskrit अयस् (áyas, “copper, iron”).

ore · noun²

1. Latin · borrowed fromora
2. English todayore

Borrowed from Latin ora.

ore · noun³

A southern variant of ware (“seaweed”).

ore · noun⁴

Possibly originating as a figurative use of Etymology 1, with Leominster's "ore" representing the wealth of the town.

Ore · proper noun⁵

1. Old English · derived fromora“edge, stream bank, brink”
2. English todayOre

* From Old English ora (“edge, stream bank, brink”) * For the river, a back-formation from Orford, Suffolk.

Words from the same roots