English failed to dig up real ore (7)
I believe the answer is:
mineral
'ore' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
I don't understand how the remainder of the clue works.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for mineral that I've seen before include "Substance that is (usually) inorganic" , "Gypsum or magnesium, say" , "Neither animal nor vegetable" , "E.g. bauxite, quartz" , "Made from inorganic matter" .)