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

See Examples For:

cash cow

Fair play to all the countries that are going, everyone will enjoy it, but football at this level is now being used as a cash cow.

From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026

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

And their home stadium, a gleaming, 62,000-seat edifice opened in 2019, was a cash cow built to welcome NFL games, heavyweight prize fights, and Bad Bunny.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 14, 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