Definition of "lode" []

• The metalliferous ore that fills a fissure in a rock formation. (noun)
• A vein of mineral ore deposited between clearly demarcated layers of rock. Also called lead1. (noun)
• A rich source or supply. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Sometimes he sends them down to the mines, to show the men who work there where the richest lode is to be found; and if the miners grumble, or are discontented, the Pixies lead them astray by lighting false fires."
• "Let us suppose that a mine has been already opened; that a "lode" -- that is, a vein of quartz with metal in it -- has been discovered cropping out of the earth, and that it has been dug down upon from above, and dug in upon from the sea-cliffs."
• "The lode is a large irregular one of pure arsenical pyrites carrying, in addition to gold and silver, nickel and cobalt."