mother lode
mother lode · mother lodes
Hauptader
A large or rich vein of gold or of another precious mineral from which other branches…A large or rich vein of gold or of another precious mineral from which other branches extend.
Meaning
2 sensesA large or rich vein of gold or of another precious mineral from which other branches extend.
Hauptader
(broadly, idiomatic)Any source of valuable or useful material.
More definitions
- the main vein of ore in a deposit
Translations
4 languagesDeutsch
By meaning 1
large or rich vein of precious mineral:
Origin
Probably a calque of Spanish veta madre (“mother lode”).Probably a calque of Spanish veta madre (“mother lode”).
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Forms
plural: mother lodesSynonyms
1 synonymsClose in meaning
- the main vein of ore in a deposit:champion lode