Definition of BONANZA

bonanza

Meanings

Plural: bonanzas

Noun

  • an especially rich vein of precious ore
  • a sudden happening that brings good fortune (as a sudden opportunity to make money)
  • A rich mine or vein of silver or gold.
  • The point at which two mother lodes intersect.
  • Anything which is a great source of wealth or yields a large income or return.

Origin / Etymology

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *melh₂-der.
Ancient Greek μᾰλᾰκός (mălăkós)
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂
Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā)
Ancient Greek μᾰλᾰκῐ́ᾱ (mălăkĭ́ā)bor.
Latin malacia
Proto-Indo-European *dewh₂-der.?
Proto-Italic *dwenos
Old Latin duenos
Old Latin duonus
Latin bonusinflu.
Vulgar Latin *bonacia
Spanish bonanzabor.
English bonanza
Borrowed from Spanish bonanza (“dead calm, fair weather, good luck, rich lode”), from Vulgar Latin *bonacia (“lull, dead calm”), in turn from Latin malacia (“calm sea”), influenced by bonus (“good”) under the false impression that initial mal- is a derivate of malus (“bad”).

Synonyms

boom, bunce, godsend, gold rush, gravy, manna from heaven, mother lode, windfall

Antonyms

borrasca

Scrabble Score: 18

bonanza is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
bonanza is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
bonanza is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 21

bonanza is a valid Words With Friends word