windfall
n. C1 Advanced US //ˈwɪndˌfɔɫ// UK //wˈɪndfɔːl// wind·fall
n. a sudden and unexpected gain of money or something valuable. It is often a lucky break that happens by chance.
n. an unexpected and sudden gain of money or property. Often used to describe a windfall of fortune or a sudden increase in income.
The lottery win was a huge windfall for the family.
The sudden sale of the old property provided a much-needed windfall to pay off the mortgage.
While the initial windfall from the merger allowed the company to expand rapidly, the long-term success depended on maintaining the quality of their core products.
From Middle English windfal, wyndfall, equivalent to wind + fall. Cognate with Middle High German wintval, wintfal, German Windfall.