noun
windfall
WIHND-fawl
noun
1
An unexpected and welcome sum of money, such as from an inheritance or lottery win.
"The family used their windfall to pay off the mortgage."
"A tax rebate gave everyone a small windfall this year."
2
Fruit blown down from a tree by the wind.
"She made jam from the windfall apples in the orchard."
How to Use Windfall
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMost commonly, a sudden and unearned stroke of financial luck.
Common pairings
a windfall profit
windfall tax
windfall gain
Word Forms
windfalls plural
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Etymology
Originally literal — fruit or wood "blown down" by the wind — before the figurative sense of unexpected good fortune developed.