gold mine

American  

noun

1. a mine yielding gold.

2. a source of great wealth or profit, or any desirable thing.

3. a copious source or reserve of something required.

   a gold mine of information about antiques.

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gold mine British  

noun

1. a place where gold ore is mined

2. a source of great wealth, profit, etc

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gold mine Idioms  

1. A rich, plentiful source of wealth or some other desirable thing, as in That business proved to be a gold mine, or She's a gold mine of information about the industry. [First half of 1800s]

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Other Word Forms

• gold-miner noun
• gold-mining noun

Etymology

Origin of gold mine

late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75

Example Sentences

Now, the site has been transformed into South Africa’s first new underground gold mine in more than 15 years, part of a global rush to boost production of a metal trading at record prices.

From The Wall Street Journal

A scarcity-based business model, where a luxury company deliberately produces less than the market demands, can be a gold mine.

From The Wall Street Journal

Greenlandic officials quietly concede that, in the short term at least, anyone running this island is more likely to find themselves staring down a money pit rather than a gold mine.

From The Wall Street Journal

“We are on a gold mine; we can produce enough oil to supply ourselves,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal

The social media platform has sky-high revenue growth, and its endless trove of forums is a gold mine for artificial-intelligence developers, Needham argued.

From Barron's