windfall
Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word windfall. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word windfall, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say windfall in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word windfall you have here. The definition of the word windfall will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofwindfall, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
From Middle English windfal, wyndfall, equivalent to wind + fall. Cognate with Middle High German wintval, wintfal, German Windfall.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) enPR: wĭndʹfôl, IPA(key): /ˈwɪnd.fɔːl/
Audio (UK) (file)
- (General American) enPR: wĭndʹfôl, IPA(key): /ˈwɪnd.fɔl/
- (cot–caught merger) enPR: wĭndʹfäl, IPA(key): /ˈwɪnd.fɑl/
- (General Australian) IPA(key): /ˈwɪnd.fo(ː)l/
Noun
windfall (plural windfalls)
- Something that has been blown down by the wind.
- A fruit that has fallen from a tree naturally, as from wind.
- They couldn't reach the branches, so they ate the windfalls.
- (figuratively) A sudden large benefit; especially, a sudden or unexpected large amount of money, as from lottery or sweepstakes winnings or an unexpected inheritance or gift.
- 2004, Chris Wallace, Character: Profiles in Presidential Courage:
- Businessmen rushed to get every last commodity aboard a departing ship, hoping for a windfall once the world realized these would be the very last sacks of flour available, thus driving up prices.
- 2023 October 19, Brendan I. Koerner, “Watch This Guy Work, and You’ll Finally Understand the TikTok Era”, in Wired, →ISSN:
- One of six siblings who’d been raised by a single mother, the client had earned a windfall of around $400,000 after going viral in 2021.
Derived terms
Translations
something that has been blown down by the wind
|
fruit fallen off a tree naturally
|
sudden large benefit
|
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.