wind·fall
 windfall
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- pronunciation:
- wInd
fawl
- features:
- Word Combinations (noun), Word History
| part of speech: |
noun |
| definition 1: |
money or another piece of good fortune that is not expected or earned.
He was surprised to inherit a windfall from his grandmother.- similar words:
- killing
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| definition 2: |
a tree or fruit from a tree, blown down by wind.
We had to ride our bikes around the windfall of tree branches on the path. |
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In the 1400s, the trees on a British nobleman's estate belonged to the king he served. However, trees that had fallen in a storm were free to those who lived on the estate. Such a piece of luck was called a
windfall.