mother lode

American  

[muhth-er-lohd] / ˈmʌð ərˌloʊd /

Or motherlode

noun

1. Mining. a rich or important lode.

2. a major or profitable source or supply.

   New York City is a mother lode of actors.

---

mother lode British  

noun

1. mining the principal lode in a system

---

Etymology

Origin of mother lode

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mother lode

The City and Borough of Juneau Assembly—the local version of a city council—saw a mother lode of opportunity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026

But it could be a mother lode for small and large local news outlets, providing $500 million a year to preserve and grow local newsrooms.

From Seattle Times ● May 15, 2024

“What a mess we’ve created for ourselves,” said Emily Talen, a professor of urbanism at the University of Chicago who has studied zoning, or “the mother lode of city rules.”

From New York Times ● Jul. 1, 2023

A 21-year-old National Guard airman, Jack Teixeira, allegedly used the online platform to post a mother lode of secret documents.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 21, 2023

First they ripped out the boards that covered the ancient fireplace, coming upon the rusty bricks like prospectors upon the mother lode.

From "Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Paterson