manna

Etymology

From Middle English, from Old English, from Late Latin manna, from Ancient Greek μάννα (mánna), from Hebrew מן (mān, “'manna”).

noun

1. (biblical) Food miraculously produced for the Israelites in the desert in the book of Exodus.
   In the juriſdiction of Huquang there are ſeveral places where they gather up great store of Manna, which the Natives take for a Frozen Dew. 1669, John Nievhoff, translated by John Ogilby, An Embassy from the Eaſt-India Company of the United Provinces, to the Grand Tartar Cham Emperour of China, London: John Macock, →OCLC, page 242
2. (by extension) Any boon which comes into one's hands by good luck.
   The introduction of technical progress in this model can be made in a very simple manner if we assume that it is of the ‘disembodied’ type, that is, something like manna that falls from heaven on all capital goods, old and new. [emphasis in original] 2010, Giancarlo Gandolfo, Economic Dynamics, 4th edition, Springer, page 197f
3. The sugary sap of the manna gum tree which oozes out from holes drilled by insects and falls to the ground around the tree.http://www.museum.vic.gov.au/forest/plants/gum.html
   1966, Bill Beatty, Tales of Old Australia, National Distributors, →ISBN, page 14, discussing old Australian foods The icing on the cake was made from manna, which was gathered under the manna gums. Manna mixed with milk made a splendid icing.