gold-mine

A children's book about pirates became a gold-mine for the author.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A place where gold is extracted from the earth: "gold-mine" refers to a location or excavation site where gold ore is mined.
   • A source of great wealth or profit: Figuratively, "gold-mine" denotes anything that yields substantial financial gain or valuable resources.

Usage Examples

• Literal meaning:

  • The company invested heavily in opening a new gold-mine in South Africa. (A physical location for gold extraction.)
  • Exploring the abandoned gold-mine was dangerous but exciting. (An old excavation site for gold.)

• Figurative meaning:

  • The antique shop turned out to be a gold-mine for collectors. (A source of valuable items or profit.)
  • Her knowledge of rare plants is a gold-mine for the research team. (A valuable resource of information.)

Advanced Usage

• "a gold-mine of information": a very rich source of useful data or knowledge.

  • The library's archives are a gold-mine of information on local history. (The archives contain abundant valuable information.)

• "to strike gold": to discover a gold-mine or, figuratively, to find something very profitable.

  • The small startup struck gold with their new app. (The startup found great financial success.)

Variants and Related Words

• Goldmine (n): alternative spelling (often used as one word).

  • The old records were a goldmine for historians. (A valuable source.)

• Gold miner (n): a person who works in a gold-mine.

  • The gold miner spent years searching for precious metal. (A worker in a gold extraction site.)

Synonyms

• Bonanza: a situation that yields a large amount of wealth or success.
• Treasure trove: a collection of valuable items or information.
• Mother lode: the main source of valuable ore, often used figuratively.

Related Idioms

• "a gold-mine of opportunity": a situation offering many chances for success.

  • The booming tech industry is a gold-mine of opportunity for young entrepreneurs. (A rich source of chances.)

• "to hit the jackpot": to achieve sudden great success or profit, similar to finding a gold-mine.

  • Investing in that stock was like hitting the jackpot. (Achieving unexpected wealth.)

Phrasal Verbs

• "to mine for gold": to search or extract gold from a gold-mine.

  • The team spent months mining for gold in the remote hills. (Extracting gold ore.)

• "to pan out": to succeed or yield results, as in gold prospecting.

  • Their risky investment finally panned out. (Became profitable.)