pay dirt

noun

1. soil, gravel, or ore that can be mined profitably.

2. Informal.,  any source of success or wealth; a fortunate discovery or profitable venture.

   After months of experimentation, the scientists finally hit pay dirt.

3. Football.,  end zone.

pay dirt

noun

1. a deposit rich enough in minerals to be worth mining

2. informal,  to achieve one's objective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pay dirt¹

An Americanism dating back to 1855–60

Example Sentences

“The Radical Left Democrats have hit pay dirt, again,” the post began.

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Their initial attempts failed to find nematodes in lakebed sediments, prompting Jung to take a hammer to samples of microbialites where she struck biological pay dirt.

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A cadre of agents — veterans who had seized fentanyl, heroin and other illicit narcotics in previous raids — dug deep, hands and boots in a sea of pungent material, before hitting pay dirt.

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He’d strike pay dirt with “Come Monday” and, especially, “Margaritaville,” songs that brought him into the pop mainstream and established the foundation of a career that brought him from the beach into Wall Street boardrooms.

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But Earth MRI is also planning hyperspectral surveys that will scan the treeless, arid surface for pay dirt.

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