El Dorado (Noun)
Meaning
An imaginary place of great wealth and opportunity; sought in South America by 16th-century explorers.
Classification
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents.
Examples
- Many 16th-century conquistadors spent their lives searching for the mythical land of El Dorado, never realizing it was merely a figment of their imagination.
- For centuries, adventurers had dreamed of finding the lost city of gold, and the idea of El Dorado remained a siren call to treasure seekers and explorers.
- Francisco de Orellana, a Spanish explorer, became the first European to navigate the Amazon River while searching for El Dorado, but ultimately returned empty-handed.
- According to legend, the chief of a Muisca tribe would cover himself in gold dust and throw precious stones into a lake during the rituals, sparking rumors of the mythical place called El Dorado.
- While El Dorado remains an imaginary place of untold riches and gold, it inspired generations of explorers and conquerors to risk life and limb in pursuit of its discovery.