mother lodes

noun

plural of mother lode
as in gold mines
an abundant source the university has long been a mother lode of athletic talent, with many alumni joining the rarefied ranks of the professionals

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mother lodes Beyond mother lodes of oil or natural gas, ready cash can also be generated with diamond or gold mines, precious metals, and rare minerals. — Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mother lodes
  1. gold mines
  2. treasure troves
  3. repositories
Noun
  • Streptomyces are bacteria that live in soil and are known as gold mines for antibiotic molecule discovery.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 26 June 2026
  • Men frequently went to work in the country's booming gold mines.
    — Ryan Lenora Brown, NPR, 14 June 2026
Definition of gold mines
Noun
  • Vintage shops and thrift stores can be treasure troves for all sorts of odds and ends to fill any space of the house—especially because vintage decor is having a major moment right now.
    — Shivani Vyas, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 July 2026
  • Small Vases and Vessels Flea markets are treasure troves for tiny vases and vessels.
    — Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 25 June 2026
Definition of treasure troves
Noun
  • This capability allows for longer coding sessions, large repositories, and workflows combining text, images, and other information, according to Moonshot.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 19 July 2026
  • Thek had a long-standing fascination with bodies, those repositories of hope and decay, but neither show focusses much on that.
    — Hilton Als, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
Definition of repositories

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mother lode
mother lodes
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Cite this Entry

“Mother lodes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mother%20lodes. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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