This week's theme
Words of nautical origins

This week's words
doldrums
scupper
scuttlebutt
bonanza
groundswell

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(buh-NAN-zah, boh-)

MEANING:

noun:
1. A source of sudden wealth or profits.
2. A very large amount.
3. A rich mine or pocket of ore.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Spanish bonanza (calm sea, hence good luck or prosperity), from Latin bonus (good). Earliest documented use: 1844.

USAGE:

"Belfast residents hope the Titanic exhibition will spur a tourism bonanza."
Mark Phillips; Belfast Hopes Titanic Proves Big Tourist Draw; CBS News (New York); Mar 31, 2012.

"We feel we have a major discovery here, with bonanza-type grades of silver, and even the gold values are very high as well."
Ted Niles; Sienna Finds High Silver and Gold Grades; Financial Post (Canada); Mar 28, 2012.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: