milk cow

noun

1. a cow that is raised for its milk rather than for beef.

2. Informal.,  a source of easily gained income; profitable venture.

   The new subsidiary turns out to be a real milk cow.

Word History and Origins

Origin of milk cow¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50

Example Sentences

"We obviously still need people who'll milk cows and drive tractors but the industry is much more than that - drone operators, people with very specialist technical skills, data analysts are required too."

Read more on BBC

What our milk cows taught me on that mountain farm, Hardin elevated into a principle that explains much of what ails modern society.

Read more on Salon

In the “dairy parlors” that commercial farms use to milk cows, floors are often cleaned using high-pressure water sprayers, which could aerosolize the virus, he notes.

Read more on Science Magazine

This week, they began sending volunteers to milk cows, pick tomatoes and cucumbers and plant potatoes at abandoned farms in the south.

Read more on Seattle Times

Mr. Mendoza, whose family in Peru owned a few milk cows, sheep and mules, first heard about the sheepherding opportunity from a friend.

Read more on New York Times