coltan

noun

col·​tan ˈkōl-ˌtan How to pronounce coltan (audio)
: a dull black ore that consists of a mixture of columbite and tantalite and is a minor source of tantalum

Examples of coltan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The tax on a kilogram of coltan and manganese was $7, while the tax on tin (cassiterite) was $4 per kilogram. Paul Tilsley, Fox News, 31 Jan. 2025 The country hosts numerous major mineral deposits—from cobalt and coltan to diamonds and gold—that power international economies and the technology companies that fuel them. Akilah Sailers, Essence, 19 Dec. 2024 The scarred hands of the miners who extracted the coltan and cobalt that now resided in his silenced phone. Daisy Hildyard, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2024 Congo is rich in natural resources: rubber, timber, oil, gas, gold, diamonds, copper, lithium, coltan, and cobalt. Amel Mukhtar, Vogue, 5 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for coltan 

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary columbo-tantalite, from columbite + -o- + tantalite

First Known Use

1999, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of coltan was in 1999

Dictionary Entries Near coltan

Cite this Entry

“Coltan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coltan. Accessed 7 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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