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noun

Klondike

KLON-dyk

Klondike (noun) means a source of sudden or unexpected wealth, from the Klondike gold rush. Example: “The oil discovery turned the sleepy town into a klondike overnight.”

noun
1
A source of sudden or unexpected wealth, from the Klondike gold rush.
"The oil discovery turned the sleepy town into a klondike overnight."
2
A solitaire card game in which cards are sorted by rank from a shuffled deck.
"She played a round of klondike to pass the time on the flight."

How to use Klondike

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither a windfall of riches (from the historic gold rush) or a classic solitaire card game named after it.

Word forms

klondiked past tense, Klondikes plural, klondikes singular

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The oil discovery turned the sleepy town into a _____ overnight.

Etymology

Named after the Klondike River region in Yukon, Canada, site of a famous 1890s gold rush. The river's name comes from a local Indigenous word roughly meaning "hammerstone water."

· First attested 1890

Class of 1890 Klondike joined the language around 1890.
See the full Class of 1890 →

Rhymes for Klondike

See all rhymes for Klondike →

Frequently asked questions

What does “Klondike” mean?

The word “Klondike” means a source of sudden or unexpected wealth, from the Klondike gold rush. In plain terms, either a windfall of riches (from the historic gold rush) or a classic solitaire card game named after it.

How do you pronounce “Klondike”?

“Klondike” is pronounced KLON-dyk (/ˈklɒnˌdaɪk/ in IPA).

How do you use “Klondike” in a sentence?

Here is “Klondike” used in a sentence: “The oil discovery turned the sleepy town into a klondike overnight.”

What part of speech is “Klondike”?

“Klondike” is a noun.

Where does the word “Klondike” come from?

The word “Klondike” dates back to around 1890. Named after the Klondike River region in Yukon, Canada, site of a famous 1890s gold rush. The river's name comes from a local Indigenous word roughly meaning "hammerstone water.".

How many meanings does “Klondike” have?

“Klondike” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a source of sudden or unexpected wealth, from the Klondike gold rush.

Definitions: FreeDict original editorial