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coltan

British

/ ˈkɒlˌtæn /

noun

a metallic ore found esp in the E Congo, consisting of columbite and tantalite (a source of the element tantalum)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of coltan

C20: from _columbite + _tantalite

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Much of the coltan and other critical minerals, like tungsten, that are mined in the Venezuelan jungle are ultimately shipped to China.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

Apart from gold and diamonds, Venezuela boasts significant deposits of bauxite and coltan, a mineral that contains a metal used in mobile phones, laptops and other electronics.

From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026

The mines in Rubaya hold about 15% of the world's coltan supply and half of the DR Congo's total deposits.

From BBC • Jan. 31, 2026

The Orinoco Mining Arc, covering 112,000 square kilometers, contains an estimated 300,000 metric tons of rare-earth elements, coltan worth $100 billion, and 200 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 5, 2026

The eastern part of DR Congo is replete with vast deposits of key minerals, including gold and coltan.

From Barron's • Nov. 2, 2025

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023