mother lode

noun

: the principal vein or lode of a region

: a principal source or supply

Example Sentences

the university has long been a mother lode of athletic talent, with many alumni joining the rarefied ranks of the professionals

Recent Examples on the Web Foster got a rusty relic found in the crud from the pumpkin factory, and my father got a similar knife found by Foster in some other mother lode.

John Gould, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Oct. 2022 In addition to an array of interviews with celebrities, art curators, former associates and others, Rossi had access to a mother lode of resources from the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, the artist’s hometown.

Steve Dollar, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2022 Brazilian paleontologists rediscovered a mother lode of fossils that had been lost for decades.

Erika Page, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Aug. 2022 California, because of its enormous population and mother lode of wealthy donors, is traditionally a top source of donations for presidential hopefuls as well as House and Senate candidates of both parties in races across the country.

Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2022 Cattle that once sold for $4 a head in Southern California was worth 25 times more in Northern California’s mother lode country.

San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 June 2022 Many a stalwart Texan backed away after one look at the Tuscan red woodwork, lumbering swaths of green granite countertops, and mother lode of gaudy golds that once defined the interiors of this Dallas home.

Sally Finder Weepie, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 May 2022 Regardless, with California’s sports-enthusiastic population of 39 million trouncing that of the over 19 million in New York, legalizing online sports betting is expected to generate a taxable mother lode of riches.

Lance Pugmire, USA TODAY, 4 May 2022 Museums all over North America showcase fossils from this very site, but Dinosaur National Monument is the mother lode.

Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mother lode.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.