bonanza

English

Etymology

From Spanish bonanza (“calm sea, fair weather, good luck, rich lode”), from Medieval Latin bonacia (“fair weather”), a blend of bonus (“good”) +‎ malacia (“calm sea”).

Pronunciation

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  Rhymes: -ænzə

Noun

bonanza (plural bonanzas)

1. (mining) A rich mine or vein of silver or gold.
2. The point at which two mother lodes intersect.
3. (by extension) Anything which is a mine of wealth or yields a large income or return.
   • 2013 August 31, Bagehot, “The parable of the Clyde”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8851:

     For two decades the bonanza on Scotland’s west coast continued. An occupation that had been seasonal and modestly profitable became year-round and lucrative. Baskets of herring put televisions into fishermen’s cottages and cars outside their doors. But fish, like oil and gas, with which Scotland’s continental shelf is also well-endowed, are not in unlimited supply.

   The popular show quickly became a ratings bonanza for the network.

Antonyms

• borrasca

Translations

rich mine or vein of silver or gold

• Dutch: goudader (nl)
• Finnish: emosuoni

• Russian: бона́нца f (bonánca)

point at which two mother lodes intersect

• Russian: бона́нца f (bonánca)

something that is a mine of wealth or yields a large income or return

• Dutch: goudmijn (nl)
• Finnish: kultakaivos (fi)

• German: Goldgrube f
• Russian: золото́е дно n (zolotóje dno)

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Spanish

Noun

bonanza f (plural bonanzas)

1. good weather
2. bloom, flourishing