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taconite
noun
tac·o·nite
ˈta-kə-ˌnīt
: a flintlike rock high enough in iron content to constitute a low-grade iron ore
Examples of taconite in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The merchant ship was carrying taconite, a low-grade iron ore, the Coast Guard said on X.
Half of the ship’s 22-person crew was removed from the vessel after the incident, according to a news release.
—Fabiana Chaparro, CNN, 9 June 2024
The tariffs did help the U.S. taconite industry, concentrated in Minnesota’s Iron Range.
—Jim Spencer, Star Tribune, 9 Oct. 2020
Minnesota taconite pellets usually had to travel less than 100 miles by rail before loading onto the bulk carriers that provide dirt-cheap transportation.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 22 Nov. 2019
State revenue generated from taconite mining accounts for approximately 80 percent of the school trust.
—Letter Writers, Twin Cities, 2 Oct. 2019
Bob Vlaisavljevich, the mayor of this small town in the north-eastern corner of the state, lauds taconite and other minerals as the spine of the local economy.
—The Economist, 22 Aug. 2019
Electric arc furnaces are becoming the new normal, while the blast-furnace steel mills that the Minnesota taconite industry has traditionally supplied are aging.
—Jimmy Lovrien, Twin Cities, 7 Aug. 2019
Then again, the mine that Forsman works in is a taconite mine, not the type of copper-nickel mine that environmentalists decry as a threat to this watershed.
—Reid Forgrave, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2017
Essar’s Nashwauk facility was supposed to be employing 350 people by 2014, producing some 7 million tons of taconite iron ore pellets each year.
—John Myers, Twin Cities, 13 Jan. 2017
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'taconite.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Taconic Range
First Known Use
1892, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near taconite
Cite this Entry
“Taconite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/taconite. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
taconite
noun
tac·o·nite
ˈtak-ə-ˌnīt
: a flinty rock high enough in iron content to be used as a low-grade iron ore
More from Merriam-Webster on taconite
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about taconite
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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