Definition of "windfall"

windfall

/ˈwɪnd.fɔːl/

noun
plural windfalls
1. Something that has been blown down by the wind.
2. A fruit that has fallen from a tree naturally, as from wind.
3. (figuratively) 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.
  Quotations
  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.
  2004, Chris Wallace, Character: Profiles in Presidential Courage
  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.
  2023 October 19, Brendan I. Koerner, “Watch This Guy Work, and You’ll Finally Understand the TikTok Era”, in Wired‎