windfall

[ wind-fawl ]
/ ˈwɪndˌfɔl /

noun

an unexpected gain, piece of good fortune, or the like.
something blown down by the wind, as fruit.

adjective

accruing in unexpectedly large amounts: windfall profits.

Origin of windfall

late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; see origin at wind1, fall

Example sentences from the Web for windfall

British Dictionary definitions for windfall

windfall
/ (ˈwɪndˌfɔːl) /

noun

a piece of unexpected good fortune, esp financial gain
something blown down by the wind, esp a piece of fruit
mainly US and Canadian a plot of land covered with trees blown down by the wind

Cultural definitions for windfall

windfall

An unexpected profit from a business or other source. The term connotes gaining huge profits without working for them — for example, when oil companies profit from a temporary scarcity of oil.