moneymaker
C1Informal
Definition
Meaning
Something that generates significant profit or a person who earns a great deal of money.
A body part, object, skill, or enterprise that is a primary or reliable source of income. Also used informally to refer to someone's buttocks.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Has both a literal financial sense and a more figurative, often humorous or slang sense. Its tone can range from neutral (business context) to slightly irreverent.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both a person and a thing. The informal reference to buttocks is more strongly established in American English.
Connotations
Generally positive for a business/idea. For a person, it can be admiring or slightly objectifying. The 'buttocks' sense is casual/slang.
Frequency
More frequent in American English across all senses.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[NP] is a moneymaker for [NP][NP] proved to be a real moneymakerShe's the family moneymakerVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “shake your moneymaker”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used to describe a highly profitable product line, division, or business model.
Academic
Rare; might appear in economics or business case studies in informal discussion.
Everyday
Used to describe a person's job, skill, or a side business that brings in good income.
Technical
Not used in technical financial reporting (e.g., 'profit centre' is preferred).
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- He has a real moneymaker idea.
- They launched a moneymaker app.
American English
- She's got a moneymaker strategy.
- It's a moneymaker proposal.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Her new online shop is a real moneymaker.
- He became the main moneymaker in his family.
- The company's new streaming service quickly became its biggest moneymaker.
- As a freelance consultant, her expertise is her primary moneymaker.
- While the flagship product gets the publicity, it's the unglamorous spare parts division that is the steady moneymaker.
- The athlete's powerful legs were not just for sport; they were his moneymaker, secured by multimillion-pound endorsements.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
A MAKER of MONEY. Picture a machine (a maker) with a dollar sign on it, churning out cash.
Conceptual Metaphor
MONEY IS A MANUFACTURED OBJECT (something that is 'made'), PROFIT IS A MACHINE.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calque 'деньгоделатель'. Use 'источник дохода', 'золотая жила', or 'кормилец/кормилица' for a person, depending on context.
- The slang sense for 'buttocks' does not translate directly; Russian would use slang like 'попа', 'задница'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it in formal financial reports. *Incorrect:* 'The moneymaker division's results...' *Correct (formal):* 'The profitable division's results...'
- Spelling as two separate words ('money maker') is occasionally seen but the closed compound is standard.
Practice
Quiz
In which context would 'moneymaker' be LEAST appropriate?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a closed compound, written as one word: moneymaker. The hyphenated form 'money-maker' is an accepted variant, but less common.
Yes, it commonly refers to a person who earns a lot of money, especially the primary earner in a family or group.
In informal American English, it can be a humorous or slang term for a person's buttocks, as in 'shake your moneymaker' (to dance).
It is informal. In formal business or academic writing, terms like 'profit centre', 'revenue generator', or 'primary earner' are preferred.