Word
lode
US/ˈɫoʊd/
UK/lˈəʊd/
Definitions
01a vein of metal ore
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Science Technical
n. a layer of metal ore, like gold or silver, found inside a crack in a rock.
n. a vein of metallic ore that fills a fissure in a rock formation or lies within definite boundaries.
“The miners followed the lode of silver deep into the mountain.”
“Geologists determined that the mother lode extended vertically for several hundred metres, promising decades of productive extraction for the mining firm.”
02a rich source
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Literary
n. a large supply of something very useful or valuable.
n. a rich or abundant source of supply, often used figuratively.
“The old library was a lode of information for the young researcher.”
“The recently discovered correspondence proved to be a lode of historical insight, revealing the private motivations behind the public treaty.”
03a watercourse
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Dialect · British English
n. a small channel or stream used for water.
n. a watercourse or an artificial channel used for drainage, particularly in fenlands.
“The farmers cleared the lode to make sure the fields didn't flood.”
“The ancient lodes of East Anglia remain vital to the region's drainage system, directing excess rainfall away from the low-lying agricultural plains.”
Real-World Examples
“Under an inky sky, I bed down for the night in a covered Conestoga wagon, the kind that once brought trails of hopefuls to the mother lode, so the legend goes.” “It's the Adidas mother lode: hundreds of pairs of DS/OGs ranging from track and field models to soccer cleats.” Etymology
Doublet of load, which has however become semantically restricted. The now-archaic lode continues the old sense of Old English lād (“way, course, journey”) but by the 19th century survived only dialectally in the sense of “watercourse”, as a technical term in mining, and in the compounds lodestone, lodestar.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
01. mother lode
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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