gold rush

American  

noun

1. a large-scale and hasty movement of people to a region where gold has been discovered, as to California in 1849.

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gold rush British  

noun

1. a large-scale migration of people to a territory where gold has been found

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Etymology

Origin of gold rush

An Americanism dating back to 1875–80

Example Sentences

The potential benefits are huge - a competitive edge with China, the possibility of a lunar gold rush, and a rare moment of national unity.

From BBC

Peak TV should have been a gold rush for writers and actors.

From Salon

Iditarod is a ghost town, just a few shacks left over from the gold rush, when ten thousand people lived there.

From Literature

As almost everybody knows, the AI gold rush is upon us.

From Los Angeles Times

For now, mining is largely done in ways reminiscent of the United States' gold rush in the 19th century, when so many ended up exhausted in a futile hunt for treasure.

From Barron's