Klondykes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Areas or regions associated with gold rushes or sudden wealth discoveries; gambling machines often known as slot machines; informal term for large or abundant amounts of something
2. Locations famed for rapid influxes of fortune seekers, particularly during gold rushes; gambling devices that generate random outcomes for prizes; colloquial name for bountiful sources or plentiful supplies
3. Districts noted for historic gold rush events and prospecting activities; gaming apparatus involving spinning reels with prize opportunities; slang for substantial or overflowing quantities in various contexts

Etymology: "Klondykes" is the plural of "klondyke," so it refers to more than one gold rush area. The singular comes from the Klondike, a region of the Yukon in northwestern Canada, where prospectors flocked after gold was found in the district's creeks. The place name became a common noun because the rush was so dramatic that people began applying it to any similar stampede for riches. The name shifted from one Canadian valley to a general label for any ground where fortune hunters crowd in, which is why the plural now serves for several such places at once.

Synonyms: gold rushes, mines