placer

1 of 2

noun (1)

plac·​er ˈplā-sər How to pronounce placer (audio)
Synonyms of placernext
: one that places: such as
a
: one that deposits or arranges
b
: one of the winners in a competition

placer

2 of 2

noun (2)

plac·​er ˈpla-sər How to pronounce placer (audio)
often attributive
: an alluvial, marine, or glacial deposit containing particles of valuable mineral and especially of gold
placer gold

Examples of placer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Joining perennial top-placer Jane in the top two this week is … Kenya Pleaser? — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2026 Aside from metal prices and some automation, placer mining has changed little over the past 125 years. — Sara Miller Llana, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Sep. 2025 Its breakout star is Parker Schnabel, a thirty-one-year-old who runs a placer mine in the Yukon that brought in fifty-one million dollars last year. — Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 4 May 2026 The left-hander has blown away his previous career highs in innings and strikeouts and is a lock to finish among the top placers in the American League Cy Young Award vote. — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 24 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for placer

Word History

Etymology

Noun (2)

Spanish, from Catalan, submarine plain, from plaza place, from Latin platea broad street — more at place

First Known Use

Noun (1)

circa 1578, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1834, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of placer was circa 1578

Rhymes for placer

See All Rhymes for placer

Browse Nearby Words

place/put stock in
placer
placer mining
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Placer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/placer. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

placer

noun
plac·​er
ˈplas-ər
: a deposit of sand or gravel containing particles of valuable mineral (as gold)

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