You may have heard the term being thrown around, especially with Kanye West's hit song, but what exactly IS a gold digger? The label usually refers to someone who associates with rich people, hoping to gain access to their money. The stereotypical gold digger is a woman who marries for money--not for love--so that she becomes rich from her husband's wealth. Whether searching for financial support for her children, expensive things, or a rich and famous lifestyle, these gold diggers want access to a lot of money without having to earn it themselves.

The term comes from the California Gold Rush in the 1890s when the miners became known as "gold diggers." These gold diggers flocked to California with hopes and dreams of striking gold and becoming rich overnight. Just like modern "gold diggers," their biggest concern was money--how to get it fast and in large quantities.

Today, one typical characteristic of a gold digger is a huge age gap between the two people in a relationship. Large age gaps usually involve an older man with a younger woman (if it's vice versa, the man can still be known as a gold digger, and the woman might be known as his "sugar momma"). The theory is that the younger woman hopes to work her way into the will of the aging partner, so that when he dies she will have full access to his wealth. It is fairly uncommon to hear of male gold diggers, though there are probably many men playing the same game.

The term "gold digger" isn't very complimentary and women who are labeled as such can be viewed by society as greedy, selfish, dumb or insensitive. Sometimes women who are involved with older men are unfairly labeled gold diggers, simply because society has certain beliefs on what makes up a healthy relationship. These beliefs include the expectation that the couple is similar in age, class and even looks (i.e. someone who is not considered too pretty or out of their partner's "league").

There are also other terms associated with gold diggers, such as "sugar daddy" and "trophy wife." A "sugar daddy" refers to a rich man who may attract younger women using his money, showering them with expensive gifts and lavish lifestyles. A "trophy wife" is a stereotypically beautiful and dumb woman who looks impressive on the arm of an older man. It is often thought that many trophy wives are gold diggers.