lode

American  

[lohd] / loʊd /

noun

1. a veinlike deposit, usually metalliferous.

2. any body of ore set off from adjacent rock formations.

3. a rich supply or source.

4. British. a waterway or channel.

---

lode British  

/ ləʊd /

noun

1. a deposit of valuable ore occurring between definite limits in the surrounding rock; vein

2. a deposit of metallic ore filling a fissure in the surrounding rock

---

lode Scientific  

/ lōd /

1. A vein of mineral ore that is deposited between clearly demarcated layers of rock or that fills a fissure in a rock formation.

---

Etymology

Origin of lode

before 900; Middle English; Old English lād way, course, carrying; cognate with Old Norse leith way, route, Old High German leita procession. See load, lade, lead ¹

Example Sentences

“In addition, a new mineralized structure has been discovered west of Waihi’s Golden Pole lode further highlighting the exploration upside, opening up another promising zone for follow-up drilling, and potential resource growth,” Euroz Hartleys says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026

The encyclopedia was crucial not only because it’s free and accessible, but also because it contains a mother lode of facts and so much of its material is consistently formatted.

From New York Times • Jul. 18, 2023

For most of the history of mining, the origin story of a mineral lode was beside the point.

From Science Magazine • Jun. 1, 2023

This winter’s hard and heavy storms caused strong bursts of erosion, with rain pounding rocks near the lode sources and rinsing gold downstream.

From Seattle Times • May 22, 2023

He took a peek into the bag—whoa—a fly mother lode!

From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds

Related Words

• vein