windfall

Everyday

1. An amount of money you get unexpectedly, such as a prize, a gift or money you find. tree →
2. A fruit, especially an apple, that has been blown off a tree by the wind. tree →
3. A windfall can also be any lucky thing that happens unexpectedly, not only money. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life and money lessons, a windfall is lucky, unplanned money: a big win, an unexpected gift from a relative. Sensible people may save part of a windfall. In gardens and orchards, windfalls are apples lying on the ground; they are often used for cooking or juice. Phrases: "a windfall of", "an unexpected windfall".

Examples

• Finding a £10 note in my old coat was a nice windfall. tree →
• The school got a windfall when a parent gave £1,000. tree →
• We collected windfalls under the apple tree to make a crumble. tree →
• Nan said I should save half of my birthday windfall. tree →
• Some windfalls were bruised, so we fed them to the horse. tree →
• The village used the windfall to fix the playground. tree →

Note

Countable: a windfall, windfalls. One word. A windfall is not something you earned or planned. In money problems, adding a windfall increases your total savings once; it is not a regular income.