taconite

[ tak-uh-nahyt ]

noun

1. a low-grade iron ore, containing about 27 percent iron and 51 percent silica, found as a hard rock formation in the Lake Superior region.

taconite

/ ˈtækəˌnaɪt /

noun

1. a fine-grained sedimentary rock containing magnetite, haematite, and silica, which occurs in the Lake Superior region: a low-grade iron ore

Word History and Origins

Origin of taconite¹

1890–95, Americanism; named after the Taconic mountain range (east of the Hudson River); -ite ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of taconite¹

C20: named after the Taconic Mountains in New England

Example Sentences

Both projects are located in Minnesota's Iron Range region, which has a long history of mining taconite ore for steel production.

From Reuters

Utility Minnesota Power has proposed a pilot project to state regulators in which it would help the region’s iron and taconite mines acquire heavy-duty electric vehicles to help shrink their carbon footprint.

From Washington Times

Steel reduced operations at Minntac in Mountain Iron, the largest taconite operation on the Minnesota’s Iron Range, starting May 10.

From Washington Times

President Trump’s steel tariffs were popular on the Iron Range, long a Democratic stronghold, where they provided a boost to the taconite mines.

From New York Times

Employers, from the tech hub downtown to the taconite mines up north, say qualified workers are turning down jobs because they cannot find affordable child care.

From Washington Post