a fine-grained sedimentary rock containing magnetite, haematite, and silica, which occurs in the Lake Superior region: a low-grade iron ore
Word origin
C20: named after the Taconic Mountains in New England
taconite in American English
(ˈtækəˌnaɪt)
US
noun
an iron-bearing chert containing from 25 to 35 percent hematite and magnetite: it is a low-grade iron ore that is pelletized for blast-furnace reduction
Word origin
< Taconic, old name for rock formations first identified in the Taconic Range (in Vt. and Mass.)+ -ite1