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
• Hyphenation: gam‧ble

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 (gl) f, aventuranza f, envite (gl) 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 (ja) (かけ, kake), ギャンブル (ja) (gyanburu)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: qumar (ku) f

• 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 (ja) (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 (gl), aventurar (gl), arriscar (gl)
• Georgian: გარისკვა (garisḳva)
• German: 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)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: qumar lîstin, qumar kirin (ku)

• 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: jokatu
• Bulgarian: играя комар (igraja komar)
• Burmese: ကစား (my) (ka.ca:)
• Cebuano: sugal
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 賭錢／赌钱 (dou² cin^4-2)

  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, gämblätä
• Galician: apostar (gl)
• 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
• Macanese: dále dôs mám
• Macedonian: се коцка (se kocka)
• Malay: judi (ms)
• Maori: purei moni, petipeti
• Persian: please add this translation if you can
• Polish: grać (pl)
• Portuguese: apostar (pt)
• Romanian: juca (ro), juca jocuri de noroc
• Russian: игра́ть в аза́ртные и́гры (igrátʹ v azártnyje ígry)
• Serbo-Croatian: kȍckati se (sh)
• Spanish: apostar (es), jugar (es), timbear (es) (South America), escolasear (River Plate), escolasar (Argentina)
• Thai: พนัน (th) (pá-nan)
• Turkish: kumar oynamak
• Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can
• 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 (gl), arriscar (gl)
• 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