Definition of "metalliferous" [met•al•lif•er•ous]

• Containing metal. Used of a mineral deposit or an ore. (adjective)

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.

• "It was owing to the mines that Dartmoor became a part of the Duchy, for the 'metalliferous' moors of Dartmoor and Cornwall had, on that account, long been Crown lands; and therefore, when Edward III created his eldest son Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall, the Chase of Dartmoor, and the"
• "The Blyvooruitzicht deaths occurred within weeks of the mine being awarded the Minister of Minerals and Energy抯 safety award in the deep-level, metalliferous category, for the mine with the best safety improvement."
• "Unprocessed minerals rose 54 per cent to $19.3 billion in 2005, largely due to higher exports of metalliferous ores such as iron, copper, zinc and lead ores."