cash cow

American  

noun

Informal.

1. any business venture, operation, or product that is a dependable source of income or profit.

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cash cow British  

noun

1. a product, acquisition, etc, that produces a steady flow of cash, esp one with a well-known brand name commanding a high market share

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cash cow Idioms  

1. A dependable source of profit, as in The small-appliance division is this company's cash cow. Although this precise term dates only from about 1970, milch cow was used in exactly the same way from 1601.

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Example Sentences

Political advertising has long been a cash cow for local television stations in an election year, but that source of income may be drying up.

From MarketWatch • May 21, 2026

For decades, China was a cash cow for many legacy brands, requiring minimal investment and offering huge gains.

From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026

Axelrod, a 42-year-old fund manager who cut his teeth in Wall Street’s distressed-debt markets, believes live events are a cash cow of our times.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

Colonel Parker, Elvis’s manager, kept his cash cow on a leash, tethering him first to middling B-pictures, then to casinos.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

“But this business of his is a cash cow, I’m telling you. Listen. This is how I got it figured ...” What luck!

From "Typical American" by Gish Jen

Related Words

• moneymaker