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gamble

Syllabification: (gam·ble)
Pronunciation: /ˈgambəl/
Translate gamble | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of gamble

verb

[no object]
  • 1play games of chance for money; bet:she was fond of gambling on cards and horses
  • [with object] bet (a sum of money) on a game of chance:he was gambling every penny he had on the spin of a wheel
  • 2take risky action in the hope of a desired result: [with clause]:the British could only gamble that something would turn up

noun

[usually in singular]
  • an act of gambling; an enterprise undertaken or attempted with a risk of loss and a chance of profit or success.

Origin:

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

gamble in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of gamble in the British & World English dictionary

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