El Dorado
noun
Did you know?
In the early 1500s, Spanish conquistadores heard tales of an Amazonian king who regularly coated his body with gold dust, then plunged into a nearby lake to wash it off while being showered with gold and jewels thrown by his subjects. The Spaniards called the city ruled by this flamboyant monarch El Dorado, Spanish for "gilded one," and the story of the gold-covered king eventually grew into a legend of a whole country paved with gold. These days, El Dorado can also used generically for any place of vast riches, abundance, or opportunity. It is also the name of actual cities in Arkansas and Kansas.
Examples of El Dorado in a Sentence
Greta Cross, USA Today, 18 July 2025
The group of over 200 people embarked Friday on a weekend trip on El Dorado County’s Rubicon Trail, the mecca of off-roading and the namesake of the kind of Jeep many participants were driving.
—Ethan Wolin
updated July 16, Sacbee.com, 16 July 2025
From the smooth elegance of Flor de Caña to the bold complexity of El Dorado and Zafra, these ultra-aged rums showcase the depth, heritage, and craftsmanship behind some of the world’s best distilleries.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
The El Dorado School District conducted a similar program last year for students in kindergarten through fourth grade.
—Edward McKinnon, arkansasonline.com, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for El Dorado
Cite this Entry
“El Dorado.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/El%20Dorado. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.
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