Definition of the word meal ticket

The phrase "meal ticket" originated in the late 19th century in reference to a person who provides food (i.e., a "meal") for another in exchange for some benefit or favor. This term was commonly used in the context of marriage, where a woman marries a man primarily for financial security, with the expectation that he will provide for her expenses, including meals (hence, the term "meal ticket"). The term has since been extended to refer to any person or item that serves as a means of supporting or sustaining someone, particularly in a professional or business context, where someone may be hired primarily for their ability to contribute to the financial success of an organization (as they provide a "meal ticket"), rather than their intrinsic value as an employee. In other words, they're more of a means to an end, rather than an end in and of themselves.