gamble
pronunciation
How to pronounce gamble in British English:
UK [ˈɡæmbl]
How to pronounce gamble in American English:
US [ˈɡæmbl]
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- Noun:
- money that is risked for possible monetary gain
- a risky act or venture
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- Verb:
- take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome
- play games for money
Word Origin
- gamble
- gamble: [18] Although its ancestry has never been established beyond all doubt, it seems overwhelmingly likely that gamble is essentially the same word as game (in which the sense ‘gamble’ is preserved in such contexts as gaming tables and betting and gaming). The Middle English form of game was gamen, and it is thought that this may have produced a variant form gamel (recorded in the 16th century) which in due course became gamble.=> game
- gamble (v.)
- "risk something of value on a game of chance," 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 (n.)), with form as in fumble, etc. 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 unrelated gambol (v.). Transitive meaning "to squander in gambling" is from 1808. Related: Gambled; gambling.
- gamble (n.)
- "risky venture," 1823, from gamble (v.). As "an act of gambling" by 1879.
Example
- 1. Reckless gamble or sign of serene confidence ?
- 2. It may have little choice but to gamble .
- 3. It was really encouraging that that gamble paid off .
- 4. There would be political resonances to such a gamble .
- 5. The government 's commitment to cutting so fast is a gamble with an economy that is still weak .