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
Heather McRea, Oc Register, 5 July 2025
Events in Cloverdale, Chico, Lodi and at the El Dorado County Fair also were cancelled.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 3 July 2025
Here's Why Severe Weather Could Shut Down Holiday Travel
Esparto Area, CA: Five Fireworks Displays
Displays in Lodi Lake, El Dorado, Chico, Cloverdale, and St Helena have all been canceled following an explosion at the warehouse containing fireworks for these events.
—Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 July 2025
That is how El Dorado County Supervisor and former South Lake Tahoe City Councilmember Brooke Laine described her reaction to me about the proposal.
—Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 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 12 Jul. 2025.
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