El Dorado
noun
Did you know?
In the early 1500s, Spanish conquistadores heard tales of an Amazonian king who regularly coated his body with gold dust, then plunged into a nearby lake to wash it off while being showered with gold and jewels thrown by his subjects. The Spaniards called the city ruled by this flamboyant monarch El Dorado, Spanish for "gilded one," and the story of the gold-covered king eventually grew into a legend of a whole country paved with gold. These days, El Dorado can also used generically for any place of vast riches, abundance, or opportunity. It is also the name of actual cities in Arkansas and Kansas.
Examples of El Dorado in a Sentence
Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Nov. 2025
The Big Sky Newcomer of the Year is Justin Lamson, the Montana State quarterback from Oak Ridge High School in El Dorado Hills and The Sacramento Bee’s 2019 Player of the Year.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 26 Nov. 2025
Eastern Sacramento County is seeing rapid growth in areas that had previously been open space, with thousands of new homes being built near Folsom, Rancho Cordova and El Dorado Hills.
—James Taylor, CBS News, 19 Nov. 2025
Alonzo Anguiano had a rushing touchdown for El Dorado (4-6, 1-4).
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 1 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for El Dorado
Cite this Entry
“El Dorado.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/El%20Dorado. Accessed 2 Dec. 2025.
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