pactole

windfall, gold mine

noun pak-TOL Rare

Origin: Pactolus, gold-bearing river of ancient Lydia

Usage Note

Pactole comes from the name of the Pactolus river, famed in antiquity for its golden sands associated with King Midas. In modern French it is used figuratively to mean an unexpected large sum of money or a very lucrative source of income. The expression toucher le pactole means to hit the jackpot.

Examples

"Ce contrat représente un vrai pactole pour l'entreprise."

Natural Translation

This contract represents a real windfall for the company.

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