| 释义 |
windfall|ˈwɪndfɔːl|
Forms: see wind n.1 and fall n.1; also 5 wynfall, 6 wyndefale, wind faulle.
[perh. of foreign origin; cf. MHG. wintval (G. windfall): see wind n.1, fall n.1]
1. Something blown down by the wind, or the fall of something so blown down:
a. a tree or branch, or a number of trees or branches; spec. (chiefly U.S.) a heap or tract of fallen trees blown down by a tornado. Also in fig. context.
1464Rolls of Parlt. V. 540/2 Trees Boghes and Woode called Wyndfalles. a1552Leland Itin. (1769) V. 91 How or when thes Trees cam doune other be Cutting or Wind Faulle no Manne ther can telle. 1582Stanyhurst æneis ii. (Arb.) 53 Downe tears yt wyndfals, and thick woods sturdelye tumbleth. 1602in G. P. Scrope Castle Combe (1852) 334 Les mortuos arbores, Anglicè the starveling trees and wyndfalls. 1625Bacon Ess., Greatness Kingd. (Arb.) 479 The Spartans..when they did spread, and their Boughs were becommen too great, for their Stem, they became a Windfall vpon the suddaine. 1664Evelyn Sylva xxxii. 109 That no unnecessary Imbezelment be made by pretences of Repair of Paling, Lodges, Browse for Deer, &c., Wind⁓falls, Root-falls. 1772Forster in Phil. Trans. LXII. 376 They do not burrow under ground, but live..under wind⁓falls and roots of trees. 1784J. Belknap in Belknap Papers (1877) II. 177 We kept one man before, with an ax, to cut away windfalls. 1830Galt Lawrie T. iii. v, Through the windfalls and the openings of the settlement, the rising sun was beginning to silver the leaves. 1866R. D. Craig Trees & Woods 123 If the windfall be of trees which are not timber in their nature. 1872Builder 7 Dec. 964/2 The village constable..charged her with picking up a few rotten windfalls from the trees.
b. fruit from a tree or bush (rarely flowers).
a1592Greene Orpharion (1599) 49 If Roses be not gathered in the bud, they either wither or proue windfalls. 1604N. F. Fruiterers Secr. 12 They which fall before the time of gathering, as wind-falles. 1661M. Stevenson Twelve Moneths 42 The wind begins to bluster among the Apples,..and the wind-falls are gathered to fill the Pies for the houshold. 1705E. Ward Hud. Rediv. ii. 17 The grizly Boar is hunting round; To see what Windfals may be found. 1768Pennant Brit. Zool. I. 42 They will reject the fruit that has lain but a few hours on the ground, and continue on the watch..for a fresh wind-fall. 1802W. Forsyth Fruit Trees vii. 99 When the men numbered the Pears, there was near a barrowful of wind-falls at the bottom of the old tree. 1880Jefferies Gt. Estate x. 197 Heaps of the windfalls collected there to wait for the cider-mill.
2. fig. A casual or unexpected acquisition or advantage.
1542Udall Erasm. Apoph. 321 b, After beeyng come to a good wyndefall of inheritaunce. 1603Holland Plutarch's Mor. 1237 This man..who otherwise before-time was but poore and needy, by these windfalles and unexpected cheats became very wealthy. 1647N. Bacon Disc. Govt. Eng. i. xvi. 50 Where ever neighbouring Princes of their own Nation watched for the windfals of Crowns. 1706Phillips (ed. Kersey), Wind-fall,..some Estate or Profit unexpectedly come to one. 1802M. Edgeworth Moral T., Forester xix, Where he..kept little windfalls, that came to him by the negligence of customers—..loose silver, odd gloves, &c. 1822Hazlitt Table-t. Ser. ii. iv. 70 These and many more wind-falls of character he gave us in thought, word, and action. 1897Mrs. Oliphant Blackw. & Sons xix. II. 256 Mr. Langford..was a most unusual windfall to drop thus casually into the new concern.
3. a. attrib. (from 1): That is a windfall; blown down by the wind: = next. Also fig. (from 2): Casual, ‘chance’. Applied (poet.—1) to a flood of unexpected light.
1465Marg. Paston in P. Lett. II. 176 Ther is wynfall wod at the maner that is of noo gret valewe. 1589Shuttleworths' Acc. (Chetham Soc.) 93 For barke of a wyndfolle trie at Smytheles vjd. 1594Marlowe & Nashe Dido i, You shall haue leaues and windfall bowes enow. 1762in Sixth Rep. Dep. Kpr. App. ii. 132 The Wood called Browsings, Windfall Wood, and Dead Wood. 1845S. Judd Margaret ii. i, All wind-fall comers here seem to be without names. 1860All Year Round No. 74. 560 The windfall fruit in his uncle's garden. 1882Besant All Sorts xii, Early August apples, and windfall pears. 1945Dylan Thomas Fern Hill in Horizon Oct. 221 And once below a time I lordly had the trees and leaves Trail with daisies and barley Down the rivers of the windfall light.
b. Special Comb. windfall profit Econ., unexpectedly large or unforeseen profit; similarly windfall gain, windfall loss, etc.
1936J. M. Keynes Gen. Theory Employment ii. vi. 57 The change in the value of the equipment, due to unforeseen changes in market values, exceptional obsolescence or destruction..may be called the windfall loss. Ibid. v. xx. 288 The windfall gain will wholly accrue to those entrepreneurs who happen to possess products at a relatively advanced stage of production. 1951Sloan & Zurcher Dict. Economics 266 Windfall profit, a profit in excess of that which can be considered normal. 1973Times 21 Dec. 6/7 A proposal for Congress to impose ‘an emergency windfall profits tax’ on the oil company. Although President Nixon himself told the American consumer, ‘there will be no windfall profits at their expense.’ 1977N.Y. Rev. Bks. 26 May 31/4 The shift to free market pricing would give the oil companies windfall profits.
▸ windfall profits tax n. Business = windfall tax n. at Additions
1973Times 21 Dec. 6/7 A proposal for Congress to impose ‘an emergency *windfall profits tax’ on the oil companies. Although President Nixon himself told the American consumer..‘there will be no windfall profits at their expense’. 1997J. Fallows in J. Kantor et al. Slate Diaries (2000) 94 Construction in our building may subject the hotdog woman to a windfall-profits tax.
▸ windfall tax n. Business a tax levied on an unforeseen or unexpectedly large profit, esp. one that is considered to be excessive or unfairly obtained.
1909Times 2 July 10/3 Mr. Lloyd-George's increment tax and reversion duty are attempts to secure for the State a part of a certain class of windfall... The question is, Will they really operate as *windfall taxes? 1997C. G. Hooton Executive Governance App. C. 192 Although some proceeds from the windfall tax would go into an energy security trust fund, no separate fund would finance mass transit. |