Subscriber login


Forgot your password?

Library card login

Other

gamble

Pronunciation: /ˈgamb(ə)l/
Translate gamble | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of gamble

verb

[no object]
  • 1play games of chance for money; bet:he gambles on football
  • [with object] bet (a sum of money):they gambled their money on cards
  • 2take risky action in the hope of a desired result:he was gambling on the success of his satellite TV channel

noun

[usually in singular]
  • 1an act of gambling: Dad likes a bit of a gamble
  • 2a risky action undertaken with the hope of success:we decided to take a gamble and offer him a place on our staff

Origin:

early 18th century: from obsolete gamel 'play games', or from the verb game1

gamble in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of gamble in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

  |  Cite

More words in this category

Word of the day

offing

/ ˈɒfɪŋ /
noun
the more distant part of the sea in view …