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You are here: Home / Language / Where Did the Word “Motherlode” Come From and What Does “Lode” Mean?

Where Did the Word “Motherlode” Come From and What Does “Lode” Mean?

May 4, 2020 by Karen Hill

The expression “Finding the motherlode” is usually used figuratively for the discovery of an abundance of almost anything.

The phrase comes from the mining camps of the late nineteenth century.

A lode is a mining term for a vein of metal ore, the discovery of which would be exciting enough, but add “mother” and you’ve come across the origin of all the veins in the region.

The motherlode is, literally, an abundant source of supply or the discovery of riches.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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