gambling









gambling


noun

  1. the activity or practice of playing at a game of chance for money or other stakes.
  2. the act or practice of risking the loss of something important by taking a chance or acting recklessly: If you don’t back up your data, that’s gambling.

verb (used without object), gam·bled, gam·bling.

  1. to play at any game of chance for money or other stakes.
  2. to stake or risk money, or anything of value, on the outcome of something involving chance: to gamble on a toss of the dice.

verb (used with object), gam·bled, gam·bling.

  1. to lose or squander by betting (usually followed by away): He gambled all his hard-earned money away in one night.
  2. to wager or risk (money or something else of value): to gamble one’s freedom.
  3. to take a chance on; venture; risk: I’m gambling that our new store will be a success.

noun

  1. any matter or thing involving risk or hazardous uncertainty.
  2. a venture in a game of chance for stakes, especially for high stakes.

verb

  1. (intr) to play games of chance to win money
  2. to risk or bet (money) on the outcome of an event, sport, etc
  3. (intr often foll by on) to act with the expectation ofto gamble on its being a sunny day
  4. (often foll by away) to lose by or as if by betting; squander

noun

  1. a risky act or venture
  2. a bet, wager, or other risk or chance taken for possible monetary gain
v.

1726 (implied in gambling), from a dialectal survival of Middle English gammlen, variant of gamenen “to play, jest, be merry,” from Old English gamenian “to play, joke, pun,” from gamen (see game). Or possibly gamble is from a derivative of gamel “to play games” (1590s), itself likely a frequentative from game. Originally regarded as a slang word. The intrusive -b- may be from confusion with gambol. Related: Gambled; gambling.

n.

“risky venture,” 1823, from gamble (v.).

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