gamble


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gamble

to bet; to take a chance on; venture; hazard; speculation; flyer: I’ll take a gamble on the chance that I’ll win.
Not to be confused with:
gambol – to skip about as in dancing or playing; frolic; spring; caper; frisk: We love to see the deer gambol in the forest.
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree

gam·ble

 (găm′bəl)
v. gam·bled, gam·bling, gam·bles
v.intr.
1.
a. To bet on an uncertain outcome, as of a game or sporting event.
b. To play a game for stakes, especially a game whose outcome is at least partly determined by chance.
2. To take a risk in the hope of gaining an advantage or a benefit.
3. To engage in reckless or hazardous behavior: You are gambling with your health by continuing to smoke.
v.tr.
1. To put up as a stake in gambling; wager.
2. To expose to hazard; risk: gambled their lives in a dangerous rescue mission.
n.
1. A bet, wager, or other gambling venture.
2. An act or undertaking of uncertain outcome; a risk: I took a gamble that stock prices would rise.

[Perhaps from obsolete gamel, to play games, from Middle English gamen, gamenen, to play, from Old English gamenian, from gamen, fun.]

gam′bler n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

gamble

(ˈɡæmbəl)
vb
1. (Gambling, except Cards) (intr) to play games of chance to win money
2. to risk or bet (money) on the outcome of an event, sport, etc
3. (often foll by: on) to act with the expectation of: to gamble on its being a sunny day.
4. (often foll by away) to lose by or as if by betting; squander
n
5. a risky act or venture
6. (Gambling, except Cards) a bet, wager, or other risk or chance taken for possible monetary gain
[C18: probably variant of game1]
ˈgambler n
ˈgambling n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

gam•ble

(ˈgæm bəl)

v. -bled, -bling,
n. v.i.
1. to play at a game of chance for money or other stakes.
2. to stake or risk something of value, as money, on the outcome of something involving chance; bet.
v.t.
3. to lose or squander by betting (usu. fol. by away).
4. to wager or risk (something of value); stake: I'll gamble my life on his honesty.
5. to take a chance on; risk.
n.
6. any matter or thing involving risk or hazardous uncertainty.
7. a venture in a game of chance.
[1150–1200; Middle English gamenen to play (Old English gamenian); see game1]
gam′bler, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

gamble


Past participle: gambled
Gerund: gambling

Imperative
gamble
gamble
Present
I gamble
you gamble
he/she/it gambles
we gamble
you gamble
they gamble
Preterite
I gambled
you gambled
he/she/it gambled
we gambled
you gambled
they gambled
Present Continuous
I am gambling
you are gambling
he/she/it is gambling
we are gambling
you are gambling
they are gambling
Present Perfect
I have gambled
you have gambled
he/she/it has gambled
we have gambled
you have gambled
they have gambled
Past Continuous
I was gambling
you were gambling
he/she/it was gambling
we were gambling
you were gambling
they were gambling
Past Perfect
I had gambled
you had gambled
he/she/it had gambled
we had gambled
you had gambled
they had gambled
Future
I will gamble
you will gamble
he/she/it will gamble
we will gamble
you will gamble
they will gamble
Future Perfect
I will have gambled
you will have gambled
he/she/it will have gambled
we will have gambled
you will have gambled
they will have gambled
Future Continuous
I will be gambling
you will be gambling
he/she/it will be gambling
we will be gambling
you will be gambling
they will be gambling
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been gambling
you have been gambling
he/she/it has been gambling
we have been gambling
you have been gambling
they have been gambling
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been gambling
you will have been gambling
he/she/it will have been gambling
we will have been gambling
you will have been gambling
they will have been gambling
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been gambling
you had been gambling
he/she/it had been gambling
we had been gambling
you had been gambling
they had been gambling
Conditional
I would gamble
you would gamble
he/she/it would gamble
we would gamble
you would gamble
they would gamble
Past Conditional
I would have gambled
you would have gambled
he/she/it would have gambled
we would have gambled
you would have gambled
they would have gambled
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.gamble - money that is risked for possible monetary gaingamble - money that is risked for possible monetary gain
venture, speculation - an investment that is very risky but could yield great profits; "he knew the stock was a speculation when he bought it"
bet, stakes, wager, stake - the money risked on a gamble
2.gamble - a risky act or venture
danger, risk, peril - a venture undertaken without regard to possible loss or injury; "he saw the rewards but not the risks of crime"; "there was a danger he would do the wrong thing"
long shot - a venture that involves great risk but promises great rewards
raise - increasing the size of a bet (as in poker); "I'll see your raise and double it"
Verb1.gamble - take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcomegamble - take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome; "When you buy these stocks you are gambling"
attempt, essay, try, assay, seek - make an effort or attempt; "He tried to shake off his fears"; "The infant had essayed a few wobbly steps"; "The police attempted to stop the thief"; "He sought to improve himself"; "She always seeks to do good in the world"
go for broke - risk everything in one big effort; "the cyclist went for broke at the end of the race"
luck it, luck through - act by relying on one's luck
2.gamble - play games for money
play - participate in games or sport; "We played hockey all afternoon"; "play cards"; "Pele played for the Brazilian teams in many important matches"
dice - play dice
shoot craps - play a game of craps
play - bet or wager (money); "He played $20 on the new horse"; "She plays the races"
wager, bet, play - stake on the outcome of an issue; "I bet $100 on that new horse"; "She played all her money on the dark horse"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

gamble

noun
1. risk, chance, venture, lottery, speculation, uncertainty, leap in the dark the President's risky gamble in calling an election
risk certainty, safe bet, foregone conclusion, sure thing, banker
2. bet, flutter (informal), punt (chiefly Brit.), wager My father-in-law likes a drink and the odd gamble.
verb
1. take a chance, back, speculate, take the plunge, stick your neck out (informal), put your faith or trust in Few firms will be prepared to gamble on new products.
2. risk, chance, stake, venture, hazard, wager Are you prepared to gamble your career on this matter?
3. bet, play, game, stake, speculate, back, punt, wager, put money on, have a flutter (informal), try your luck, put your shirt on, lay or make a bet John gambled heavily on the horses.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

gamble

verb
1. To make a bet:
Idiom: put one's money on something.
2. To put up as a stake in a game or speculation:
Informal: go.
3. To take a risk in the hope of gaining advantage:
Idiom: take a flyer.
noun
1. A venture depending on chance:
2. A possibility of danger or harm:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
مُقامَرَهيُقامِريُقامِرُ
hazardhazardovathrátrisksázet
chancesatsespillespille hasard
pelata uhkapeliä
jouerentreprise risquéegamblingjeu de hasard
להמר
kockati
kockázatos ügypénz: pénzben játszik
fjárhættuspil; áhættaspila fjárhættuspil
賭け事をする
도박을 하다
azartinis lošimaslošėjasrizikingas dalykassurizikuoti
riskants pasākumsspēlēt azartspēles
igrati na srečotvegana igra
spela
เล่นพนัน
đánh bạc

gamble

[ˈgæmbl]
A. N (= risk) → riesgo m; (= bet) → apuesta f
life's a gamblela vida es una lotería
the gamble came offla jugada salió bien
to have a gamble on [+ horse] → jugar dinero a, apostar a; [+ Stock Exchange] → jugar a
to take a gamblearriesgarse
B. VT [+ money] → jugar, apostar; [+ one's life] → arriesgar
to gamble everything/one's future (on sth)jugarse todo/el porvenir (a algo)
C. VI (= bet money) → jugar, apostar; (= take a chance) → jugárselas
to gamble on sthconfiar en algo, contar con algo
he gambled on my being thereconfiaba en que yo estuviera allí, contaba con que yo estuviera allí
to gamble on the Stock Exchangejugar a la Bolsa
to gamble with others' moneyespecular con el dinero ajeno
gamble away VT + ADVperder en el juego
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

gamble

[ˈgæmbəl]
n (= risk) → pari m
to take a gamble → prendre un risque
vt [+ money] → jouer
He gambled £100 at the casino → Il a joué cent livres au casino.
vi
(with money)jouer
to gamble on the Stock Exchange → jouer en Bourse
(= take a risk) → prendre un risque
gamble away
vt [+ money] → perdre au jeu
gamble on
vt
(= stake money on) → miser sur
(= take a risk on) → miser sur
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

gamble

n
(lit) I like the occasional gambleich versuche gern mal mein Glück (im Spiel/bei Pferdewetten/bei Hundewetten etc) to have a gamble on the horses/dogsauf Pferde/Hunde wetten; to have a gamble on the stock exchangean der Börse spekulieren
(fig)Risiko nt; a political gambleein politisches Wagnis; it’s a gamblees ist riskant or eine riskante Sache; I’ll take a gamble on it/himich riskiere es/es mit ihm; he took a gamble in buying the housebeim Kauf des Hauses ist er ein Risiko eingegangen
vi
(lit)(um Geld) spielen (with mit), sich an Glücksspielen beteiligen; (on horses etc) → wetten; to gamble on the horsesbei Pferderennen wetten; to gamble on the stock exchangean der Börse spekulieren; he made a lot of money gamblinger hat beim Glückspiel or (with cards) → beim Kartenspiel viel Geld gewonnen
(fig) to gamble on somethingsich auf etw (acc)verlassen; she was gambling on his being latesie hat sich darauf verlassen, dass er sich verspäten würde; I was gambling on winning their supportich verließ mich or spekulierte (inf)darauf, dass sie mich unterstützen würden; to gamble with somethingmit etw spielen, etw aufs Spiel setzen
vt
money, fortuneeinsetzen; to gamble something on somethingetw auf etw (acc)setzen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

gamble

[ˈgæmbl]
1. nazzardo, rischio
to take a gamble → rischiare
the gamble came off → è valsa la pena rischiare
it's a gamble → è un salto nel buio
2. vt (money) → giocare
3. vigiocare (d'azzardo)
to gamble on the Stock Exchange → giocare in Borsa
to gamble on sth → puntare su qc, giocare su qc
gamble away vt + adv (money) → perdere al gioco, giocarsi
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

gamble

(ˈgӕmbl) verb
to risk losing money on the result of a horse-race etc.
noun
(something which involves) a risk. The whole business was a bit of a gamble.
ˈgambler noun
ˈgambling noun
take a gamble
to do something risky in the hope that it will succeed.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

gamble

يُقامِرُ hazardovat spille hasard um Geld spielen ποντάρω jugar pelata uhkapeliä jouer kockati giocare d’azzardo 賭け事をする 도박을 하다 gokken gamble uprawiać hazard jogar jogo de azar играть в азартные игры spela เล่นพนัน kumar oynamak đánh bạc 博采
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
References in classic literature ?
For in a desire to win quickly and to win much I can see nothing sordid; I have always applauded the opinion of a certain dead and gone, but cocksure, moralist who replied to the excuse that " one may always gamble moderately ", by saying that to do so makes things worse, since, in that case, the profits too will always be moderate.
I answered drily that I had very little money in my possession, and that, consequently, I was hardly in a position to indulge in any conspicuous play, even if I did gamble. At last, when ascending to my own room, I succeeded in handing Polina her winnings, and told her that, next time, I should not play for her.
I kept the appointment in a room where card-playing is continually in progress; and, after tea had been drunk, efforts were made to induce me to gamble. Whether or not my refusal seemed to the company ridiculous I cannot say, but at all events my companions played the whole evening, and were playing when I left.
To such a pitch of excitement are they sometimes roused, that they gamble away everything they possess, even to their wives and children.
It would not do to gamble where his uncle could hear of it; he knew that quite well.
The curious flood of sentiment, which had led him to gamble for the child's picture, had merged with equal suddenness into passion at the coming of her later presentment.
For example, if women avoid certain activities, or appear to gamble for different reasons, what does this suggest about the role of gambling in women's lives?
Gambling interests would be the big winners in this scheme and could make a fortune luring people to gamble.
Our members promote gambling campaigns undertaken by Gamble Aware and the National Gambling Helpline.
* Needs to gamble with increasing amounts of money to achieve the desired excitement.
Shaffer, Hall, Walsh and Vander Bilt (1995) have examined some of the adverse consequences often faced by young people who gamble. Their study revealed a wide range of detrimental social and emotional consequences of gambling in its student sample.
This article addresses the ramifications of Procter & Gamble in today's economic and tax environment.