gamble

See also: Gamble

English

English Wikipedia has articles on:

Gamble (disambiguation) and gamble

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)

A bet or wager.
I had a gamble on the horses last weekend.
A significant risk, undertaken with a potential gain.
A risky venture.
The sailors had taken many gambles with the sea and always won.

Derived terms

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)

To take a risk, with the potential of a positive outcome.
To play risky games, especially casino games, for monetary gain.
Mark won half a million dollars gambling on horses.
(transitive) To risk (something) for potential gain.
He gambled his reputation on the outcome.
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

Anagrams

Gambel, Lambeg