windfall

noun

Etymology: From Middle English windfal, wyndfall, equivalent to wind + fall. Cognate with Middle High German wintval, wintfal, German Windfall.

1. Something that has been blown down by the wind.
2. The act of something being blown down by wind.

   “The danger from windfall is greatest to trees developed in dense stands, which are tall and have slender stems, and increases with the age of the stand.”

3. A fruit that has fallen from a tree naturally, as from wind.

   “They couldn't reach the branches, so they ate the windfalls.”

4. 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.

   “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.”

   “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.”