treasure trove

noun

1

: treasure that anyone finds

specifically : gold or silver in the form of money, plate, or bullion which is found hidden and whose ownership is not known

2

: a valuable discovery, resource, or collection

Synonyms

• gold mine
• repository
• mother lode
• mine

Examples of treasure trove in a Sentence

Divers found a treasure trove of gold and silver in the wreckage of a ship that sank hundreds of years ago.

the ancient city, having been almost perfectly preserved under volcanic ash for nearly 2,000 years, is proving to be a treasure trove of archaeological information

Recent Examples on the Web

Contained within this analog treasure trove was a personality, a voice, a way of looking at the world—in short, a life. —Eliza Berman, Time, 26 June 2025

For 16 years, the book quietly traveled in Sofia’s backpack, a secret project that blossomed into a treasure trove of encouragement and heartfelt memories. —Ashley Vega, People.com, 18 June 2025

Amazon is a treasure trove of vibrant bikinis, one-piece swimsuits, and swim trunks that are both on-trend and water-safe. —Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 15 June 2025

Out of the latter, Luckin is building a treasure trove of data. —Elaine Yu, CNBC, 14 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Anglo-French tresor trové, literally, found treasure

First Known Use

1523, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for treasure trove

• alcove
• mangrove
• clove
• cove
• drove
• rove
• shrove
• stove
• strove
• throve
• wove

Kids Definition

treasure trove

noun

-ˌtrōv

1

: treasure of unknown ownership found buried or hidden

2

: a valuable discovery

Legal Definition

treasure trove

noun

-ˈtrōv

: treasure that anyone finds

specifically : gold or silver in the form of money, plate, or bullion that is found hidden and whose ownership is not known

Note: State law determines who is entitled to a treasure trove.