noun
lode
LOHD/ləʊd/
A vein of valuable material available to be mined.
The gold-bearing quartz lode runs through the surrounding rock.
Etymology
Old English lād meant a way or course. An ore vein became a lode because miners followed its course through the rock, treating it as a path to follow.
In context
The famous quartz veins of the Mother Lode formed, trapping gold within their milky white walls and creating a hidden network of riches.
More examples
- Geologists discover several gold-bearing lodes beneath the ridge.
- The company mines a silver lode deep underground.
- The archive is a rich lode of information about local families.
Forms
lode · lodes