PAY DIRT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does pay dirt mean? 

• PAY DIRT (noun)
  The noun PAY DIRT has 2 senses:

1. ore that yields a substantial profit to the miner

2. a profitable success

  Familiarity information: PAY DIRT used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PAY DIRT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Ore that yields a substantial profit to the miner

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("pay dirt" is a kind of...):

ore (a mineral that contains metal that is valuable enough to be mined)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A profitable success

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Context example:

the inventor worked for years before hitting pay dirt

Hypernyms ("pay dirt" is a kind of...):

success (a state of prosperity or fame)

 Context examples 

In a volcanic deposit near Crater Lake, Oregon, they hit pay dirt.

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