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
Ocvarsity Sports Staff, Oc Register, 23 Oct. 2025
There continues to be a high number of price reductions in Sacramento, Placer, Yolo and El Dorado counties, Lundquist said.
—Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Advertisement The conquistadors may have obsessed over El Dorado, but Ghana’s historic kingdom of Asante makes the mythical land feel a little drab by comparison.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 15 Oct. 2025
Residents near the Bridge, Line, Apple, El Dorado and Airport burn scar should prepare for potential flooding impacts.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 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 25 Oct. 2025.
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