Meanings
adjectivemetalliferous (comparative more metalliferous, superlative most metalliferous)
comparative more metalliferous · superlative most metalliferous
- engineeringContaining a metallic element. Often used to describe ores that are mined commercially.
Cassiterite is a metalliferous ore containing tin.
Origin
- Ancient Greekμέταλλον (métallon)
- Latinmetallum
- Old Frenchmeta
- Middle Englishmetal
- Englishmetal
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰer-
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰéreti
- Proto-Italic*ferō
- Latinferō
- Proto-Indo-European*h₃ed-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₃édosder.?
- Englishmetalliferous
Translations
French métallifère
- métallifèrecontaining a metallic element
Italian metallifero
- metalliferocontaining a metallic element
Polish kruszcodajny, kruszconośny
- kruszcodajnycontaining a metallic element
- kruszconośnycontaining a metallic element
Russian металлоно́сный
- металлоно́сный (metallonósnyj)containing a metallic element
Turkish metalli
- metallicontaining a metallic element
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with metalliferous
carboniferousseminiferouscruciferousfossiliferousodoriferousacetabuliferousacidiferousaeriferousaestiferousagatiferousalbuminiferousaliferousalkaliferousalumiferousaluminiferousamberiferousamentiferousammonitiferousamygdaliferousamyliferousanatiferousangeliferousantenniferousantheriferous
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
metalliferous. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/metalliferous
MLA
“metalliferous.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/metalliferous. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “metalliferous,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/metalliferous.
Source: metalliferous on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.