El Dorado

American  

[el duh-rah-doh, -rey-, el daw-rah-thaw, el duh-rey-doh] / ˌɛl dəˈrɑ doʊ, -ˈreɪ-, ɛl dɔˈrɑ ðɔ, ˌɛl dəˈreɪ doʊ /

noun

1. a legendary treasure city of South America, sought by the early Spanish explorers.

2. any place offering great wealth.

3. a city in S Arkansas.

4. a town in S Kansas.

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El Dorado British  

/ ɛl dɒˈrɑːdəʊ, ɛl doˈraðo /

noun

1. a fabled city in South America, rich in treasure and sought by Spanish explorers in the 16th century

2. Also: eldorado.  any place of great riches or fabulous opportunity

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El Dorado Cultural  

1. A place of fabulous wealth, or an opportunity to obtain it. During the gold rush many adventurers believed that California would be their El Dorado. The name comes from the name of a legendary South American city of stupendous riches sought by Spanish conquistadores.

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Etymology

Origin of El Dorado

C16: from Spanish, literally: the gilded (place)

Example Sentences

Villa Park 8, El Dorado 4: Jack McGuire limited El Dorado to two hits and one run in five innings.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

Arcadia 5, El Dorado 4: The Apaches scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning, then held on for the National Classic win.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

El Dorado 4, Villa Park 2: Brady Abner had the tying triple and Xavi Cadena hit the winning home run.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026

Foothill 1, El Dorado 0: Grady Wright threw a seven-hit shutout, striking out six and walking one.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

“It’s like comparin’ an El Dorado to a Volkswagen.”

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy