Definition

1. Noun:
   • A deposit of valuable ore occurring within definite boundaries separating it from surrounding rocks: A "lode" is a distinct vein or layer of mineral ore, especially a metal like gold or silver, embedded within rock formations.

Usage

• The word "lode" is primarily used in geology and mining contexts to describe a concentrated source of valuable minerals.
• It often appears with words like "mother" (mother lode), "vein," "ore," "mine," or "deposit."

Examples

• Noun:
  • The prospectors discovered a rich lode of silver in the mountain.
  • The old mine was once famous for its productive gold lode.

Advanced Usage

• "Mother lode": The principal vein or source of ore in a region; figuratively, the main or richest source of something.
  • The discovery of the mother lode made the town famous overnight.
  • The archive was a mother lode of information for the historian.

Variants and Related Words

• Lode-bearing (adj): Containing or yielding a lode.
  • The lode-bearing rock was carefully extracted.
• Lode claim (n): A mining claim based on the discovery of a lode.
  • He filed a lode claim with the government.

Synonyms

• Vein: A distinct layer of ore or mineral.
• Seam: A thin layer of a mineral, especially coal.
• Deposit: A natural accumulation of a mineral or ore.

Related Phrases

• Strike a lode: To discover a vein of ore.
  • The miners hoped to strike a lode before their funds ran out.

Noun

1. a deposit of valuable ore occurring within definite boundaries separating it from surrounding rocks