pay dirt

pay dirt
noun
1. ore that yields a substantial profit to the miner
• Hypernyms: ↑ore
2. a profitable success
-

the inventor worked for years before hitting pay dirt

• Hypernyms: ↑success

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noun
1. : earth or ore that yields a profit to a miner
2. : any useful or remunerative discovery or attained object

after hours of questioning the police struck pay dirt

the pay dirt for the fact-seeking reader is there — American Antiquity

3. : the end zone of a football field

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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. See end zone (def. 1).
[1855-60, Amer.]

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pay dirt noun
1. Gravel or sand containing enough gold to be worth working (also pay gravel)
2. A source of riches
• • •
Main Entry: ↑pay

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pay dirt UK US noun

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pay dirt,
1. U.S. earth, ore, or the like containing enough metal to be worth mining: »

Two of her officers staked an Indian to search pay dirt (Maclean's).

2. Informal, Figurative. something that yields a profit or beneficial result: »

Mayor Lee has struck political pay dirt in an unpromising issue (Harper's).

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n. Mining ground containing ore in sufficient quantity to be profitably extracted

the gig pays three hundred bucks a week-looks like I just hit pay dirt

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noun
hit/strike pay dirt
chiefly US informal : to do, find, or get something that results in money or success

The band hit pay dirt [=had a big success] with their first single.

The police struck pay dirt when a witness came forward with new information.

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ˈpay dirt [pay dirt] noun uncountable (especially NAmE)
earth that contains valuable minerals or metal such as gold
Idiom: ↑hit pay dirt

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Pay dirt — Pay dirt, Pay rock Pay rock, etc. 1. (Mining) Earth, rock, etc., which yields a profit to the miner. [Western U. S.] [Webster 1913 Suppl.] 2. a discovery, especially after an exploratory process, which yields a profit or sought after benefit;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • pay dirt — ☆ pay dirt n. soil, gravel, ore, etc. rich enough in minerals to make mining profitable hit pay dirt or strike pay dirt Informal to discover a source of wealth, success, etc …   English World dictionary

  • Pay dirt — Pay Pay, n. 1. Satisfaction; content. Chaucer. [1913 Webster] 2. An equivalent or return for money due, goods purchased, or services performed; salary or wages for work or service; compensation; recompense; payment; hire; as, the pay of a clerk;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • pay dirt — pay ,dirt noun hit/strike pay dirt INFORMAL to get or find something valuable or useful …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • pay dirt — dirt in which much gold is found, a valuable discovery The company hit pay dirt when they invented the new Internet equipment …   Idioms and examples

  • pay dirt — pay′ dirt n. 1) min soil, gravel, or ore that can be mined profitably 2) inf Informal. any source of success or wealth • Etymology: 1855–60, amer …   From formal English to slang

  • pay dirt — [n] profit accumulation, benefit, bottom line*, cleanup, earnings, gate*, goods*, gravy*, harvest, killing*, net, payoff, proceeds, receipts, return, revenue, score*, split*, surplus, take*, winnings; concepts 332,344,693 …   New thesaurus

  • pay dirt — {n.}, {slang} 1. The dirt in which much gold is found. * /The man searched for gold many years before he found pay dirt./ 2. {informal} A valuable discovery. Often used in the phrase strike pay dirt . * /When Bill joined the team, the coach… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • pay dirt — {n.}, {slang} 1. The dirt in which much gold is found. * /The man searched for gold many years before he found pay dirt./ 2. {informal} A valuable discovery. Often used in the phrase strike pay dirt . * /When Bill joined the team, the coach… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • pay\ dirt — noun slang 1. the dirt in which much gold is found. The man searched for gold many years before he found pay dirt. 2. informal A valuable discovery. Often used in the phrase strike pay dirt . When Bill joined the team, the coach struck pay dirt.… …   Словарь американских идиом

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