pay dirt

American  

noun

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. end zone.

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pay dirt British  

noun

1. a deposit rich enough in minerals to be worth mining

2. informal to achieve one's objective

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Etymology

Origin of pay dirt

An Americanism dating back to 1855–60

Example Sentences

Last year, it attained a valuation of $2.96 billion and recently finished two years of digitizing maps and other documents from the state archives in neighboring Zambia, where it hit pay dirt.

From The Wall Street Journal

“The medical students will hit pay dirt with Old Man Lichtenberger,” I said, summing up.

From Literature

“What about you, son? Did you hit pay dirt?”

From Literature

Their initial attempts failed to find nematodes in lakebed sediments, prompting Jung to take a hammer to samples of microbialites where she struck biological pay dirt.

From Science Daily

He’d strike pay dirt with “Come Monday” and, especially, “Margaritaville,” songs that brought him into the pop mainstream and established the foundation of a career that brought him from the beach into Wall Street boardrooms.

From Los Angeles Times