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

The bulk of Samsung’s profits once came from smartphones, but the semiconductor business has now come back as its major cash cow, accounting for more than half of its earnings recently.

From The Wall Street Journal

Alphabet is now “winning everywhere,” wrote Wlodarczak, adding that the company’s cash cow, google search, has been resilient, Gemini is improving, and YouTube is the world’s largest video streamer.

From Barron's

The gin producer said the spirits industry was being "used as a bit of a cash cow for the government".

From BBC

If Rachel makes his film, she’ll become a combo platter of his mother, his daughter, his protégée and his cash cow.

From Los Angeles Times

The group’s cash cow was up against a challenging comparison base after sales more-than doubled in last year’s third quarter.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• moneymaker