gamble

gamble

See also: Gamble

English

Alternative forms

• gambal (obsolete)

Etymology

From earlier gamel, from Middle English *gamlen, *gamelen, variant of Middle English gamenen, from Old English gæmnian, gamnian, gamenian (“to joke; play”), related to Old English gamen (“joy; mirth; pleasure; entertainment; pastime; sport; game”), equivalent to game +‎ -le. Compare Old Danish gammel, Middle High German gamel (“pleasure; fun”). More at game.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈɡæm.bəl/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æmbəl
• Homophone: gambol

Noun

gamble (plural gambles)

1. A bet or wager.

   I had a gamble on the horses last weekend.

2. A significant risk, undertaken with a potential gain.
3. A risky venture.

   The sailors had taken many gambles with the sea and always won.

Derived terms

• Pascal's gamble
• take a gamble

 

Translations

a risk undertaken with a potential gain

Arabic: قِمَار‎ m (qimār) Hijazi Arabic: قُمار‎ m (gumār) Bulgarian: риск (bg) m (risk) Dutch: gok (nl) m Esperanto: hazardo (eo) Estonian: õnnemäng Finnish: uhkapeli (fi) French: pari (fr) m, jeu de hasard (fr) m Galician: aposta f, aventuranza f, envite m Georgian: აზარტული თამაში (azarṭuli tamaši), ავანტიურა (avanṭiura) German: Glücksspiel (de) n, Hazardspiel n Greek: στοίχημα (el) n (stoíchima) Hungarian: szerencsejáték (hu), hazárdjáték (hu) Ido: ludrisko Italian: scommessa (it) f Japanese: 賭け (かけ, kake), ギャンブル (ja) (gyanburu) Macedonian: коцка f (kocka), комар m (komar) Malay: taruhan Persian: قمار‎ (fa) (qomâr) Polish: hazard (pl) m Portuguese: aposta (pt) f Russian: аза́ртная игра́ (ru) f (azártnaja igrá), авантю́ра (ru) f (avantjúra) Spanish: apuesta (es) Turkish: kumar (tr)

a risky venture

Bulgarian: авантюра (bg) f (avantjura) Dutch: gok (nl) m, waagstuk (nl) n Esperanto: hazardo (eo) Finnish: uhkapeli (fi) Galician: aventuranza f Georgian: ავანტიურა (avanṭiura), რისკიანი საქმე (risḳiani sakme) German: Glücksspiel (de) n Hungarian: szerencsejáték (hu), hazárdjáték (hu), lutri (hu) Japanese: 賭け (かけ, kake), ギャンブル (ja) (gyanburu) Portuguese: aposta (pt) f Russian: авантю́ра (ru) f (avantjúra)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Interlingua: (please verify) joco

Verb

gamble (third-person singular simple present gambles, present participle gambling, simple past and past participle gambled)

1. To take a risk, with the potential of a positive outcome.
2. To play risky games, especially casino games, for monetary gain.

   Mark won half a million dollars gambling on horses.

3. (transitive) To risk (something) for potential gain.

   He gambled his reputation on the outcome.

4. To interact with equipment at a casino

Translations

to take a risk, with the potential of a positive outcome

Arabic: قَامَرَ‎ (qāmara) Bulgarian: рискувам (bg) (riskuvam) Chinese: Mandarin: 賭博／赌博 (zh) (dǔbó), 賭錢／赌钱 (zh) (dǔqián) Czech: riskovat (cs) Dutch: gokken (nl) Esperanto: hazardi French: parier (fr), hasarder (fr) Galician: apostar, aventurar (gl), arriscar Georgian: გარისკვა (garisḳva) German: riskant (de) spielen (de), spekulieren (de), (slang) zocken (de), hasardieren (de) Greek: στοιχηματίζω (el) (stoichimatízo) Hebrew: הימר‎ (he) (himér) Ido: ludriskar Indonesian: bertaruh (id), mempertaruhkan (id) Italian: scommettere (it) Japanese: 賭ける (ja) (かける, kakeru) Javanese: main (jv) Macedonian: се коцка (se kocka) Polish: ryzykować (pl) Portuguese: arriscar (pt) Russian: рискова́ть (ru) (riskovátʹ) Serbo-Croatian: kȍckati se (sh) Thai: พนัน (th) (pá-nan) Turkish: kumar oynamak Walloon: fé ene wadjeure (wa)

to play risky games for monetary gain

Albanian: please add this translation if you can Arabic: قَامَرَ‎ (qāmara) Armenian: please add this translation if you can Basque: please add this translation if you can Bulgarian: играя комар (igraja komar) Burmese: ကစား (my) (ka.ca:) Cebuano: sugal Chinese: Cantonese: 賭錢, 赌钱 (dou2 cin4-2) Mandarin: 賭博／赌博 (zh) (dǔbó), 賭錢／赌钱 (zh) (dǔqián) Dutch: gokken (nl), kansspelen bedrijven Esperanto: veti (eo), vetludi, monludi Finnish: uhkapelata Galician: apostar Georgian: აზარტული თამაშების თამაში (azarṭuli tamašebis tamaši) German: wetten (de), spielen (de), (slang) zocken (de) Hebrew: הימר‎ (he) (himér) Hindi: please add this translation if you can Hungarian: szerencsejátékot játszik, hazardíroz (hu) Ido: ludriskar Indonesian: berjudi (id) Italian: scommettere (it) Japanese: 賭ける (ja) (かける, kakeru) Khmer: លេងល្បែង (leing lbaeng) Korean: please add this translation if you can Macedonian: се коцка (se kocka) Malay: judi (ms) Maori: purei moni, petipeti Persian: please add this translation if you can Portuguese: apostar (pt) Romanian: juca (ro) Russian: игра́ть в аза́ртные и́гры (igrátʹ v azártnyje ígry) Serbo-Croatian: kȍckati se (sh) Spanish: apostar (es), jugar (es) Thai: พนัน (th) (pá-nan) Turkish: kumar oynamak Walloon: trimler (wa)

(transitive) to risk something for potential gain

Dutch: op het spel zetten, vergokken (nl), wagen (nl) Esperanto: hazardi Finnish: vaarantaa (fi) Galician: xogar, arriscar German: aufs Spiel (de) n setzen (de), hasardieren (de), wagen (de) Hungarian: kockáztat (hu), kockára tesz Interlingua: poner in risco Italian: rischiare (it) Japanese: 懸ける (ja) (かける, kakeru) Portuguese: arriscar (pt) Spanish: apostar (es) Thai: พนัน (th) (pá-nan) Walloon: risker (wa)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Interlingua: (please verify) jocar

See also

• game of chance

Anagrams

• Gambel, Lambeg