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 of treasure trove

• 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

The largely frozen island is also known for an abundance of untapped raw materials, from oil and gas reserves to critical mineral deposits and a treasure trove of rare earth elements. —Sam Meredith, CNBC, 22 Jan. 2026

And on this particular Texas day, that first unit was an out-of-left field treasure trove, filled with artwork worth tens of thousands of dollars. —Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026

The reality is that Denmark’s ownership of Greenland is not what’s stopping the United States from tapping the island’s treasure trove. —Matt Egan, CNN Money, 22 Jan. 2026

There’s a treasure trove of Disney archives. —Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 22 Jan. 2026

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.