wolfram
/ˈwʊlfrəm
/noun [mass noun]
Tungsten or its ore, especially as a commercial commodity.By 1907 most of the gold mining was replaced by tin and wolfram....
- It's then balanced with heavy inserts of wolfram (the principle ore in tungsten) on both the heel and toe.
- Karens also make their living by fishing in coastal areas, working in tin or wolfram mines, and gathering forest products like rattan and honey.
Origin
Mid 18th century: from German, assumed to be a miners' term, perhaps from Wolf 'wolf' + Middle High German rām 'soot', probably originally a pejorative term referring to the ore's inferiority to tin, with which it occurred.