cash cow

Register · Neutral Neutral — appropriate in most situations, both spoken and written, without sounding too casual or too stiff. CEFR B2

Post

Figurative meaning

a product or business that generates steady, reliable profit with little further investment

Why this phrase?

From the Boston Consulting Group matrix: a cow you keep milking instead of slaughtering.

Example

“Search ads are the cash cow that funds the moonshots.”

Dictionary details

Component words

cash cow

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

sacred cow Neutral · CEFR C1

something protected from criticism or change, often irrationally

corner the market Neutral · CEFR C1

to gain such control of a market that competitors cannot operate in it

do the job Informal · CEFR B1

to be good enough to achieve the desired result

sell like hot cakes Neutral · CEFR B1

to be bought rapidly and in great numbers because many people want it

sign on the dotted line Neutral · CEFR B1

to commit yourself formally by signing an agreement

stay the course Neutral · CEFR B1

to continue with a plan despite difficulties or doubt

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

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