an agreement between two parties that a sum of money or other stake will be paid by the loser to the party who correctly predicts the outcome of an event
the money or stake risked
the predicted result in such an agreementhis bet was that the horse would win
a person, event, etc, considered as likely to succeed or occurit's a good bet that they will succeed
a course of action (esp in the phrase one's best bet)
informalan opinion; viewmy bet is that you've been up to no good
verbbets, betting, betorbetted
(when intr foll by on or against) to make or place a bet with (a person or persons)
(tr)to stake (money, etc) in a bet
(tr; may take a clause as object)informalto predict (a certain outcome)I bet she fails
1590s, as both a verb and noun, in the argot of petty criminals, of unknown origin; probably a shortening of abet or else from obsolete beet "to make good," from Old English bætan "make better, arouse, stimulate," from Proto-Germanic *baitjanan, in which case the verb would be the original. The original notion is perhaps "to improve" a contest by wagering on it, or it is from the "bait" sense in abet. Used since 1852 in various American English slang assertions (cf. you bet "be assured," 1857). Related: Betting.
