bingo

[bing-goh]

noun

(sometimes initial capital letter)

1. a form of lotto in which balls or slips, each with a number and one of the letters B, I, N, G, or O, are drawn at random and players cover the corresponding numbers printed on their cards, the winner being the first to cover five numbers in any row or diagonal or, sometimes, all numbers on the card.

interjection

1. (used to call a win in bingo.)

2. (used to express suddenness or swiftness, as of an action).

   He waved his hand, and, bingo, the card reappeared.

3. (used to acknowledge someone's sudden understanding or correct response).

   Bingo! That's just what I meant!

bingo

/ ˈbɪŋɡəʊ /

noun

1. a gambling game, usually played with several people, in which numbers selected at random are called out and the players cover the numbers on their individual cards. The first to cover a given arrangement of numbers is the winner Compare lotto

1. a cry by the winner of a game of bingo

2. an expression of surprise at a sudden occurrence or the successful completion of something

   and bingo! the lights went out

Word History and Origins

Origin of bingo¹

First recorded in 1935–40; apparently alteration of beano ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of bingo¹

C19: perhaps from bing , imitative of a bell ringing to mark the win

Example Sentences

It spawned hundreds of thousands of warehouse and delivery jobs—the largest pockets of internet‑driven job growth, and yet few had them on their 1998 bingo card.

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We sign up for painting classes, designed for individuals with dementia and their caregivers, and play “senior bingo” at our church.

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Long before the Seminoles bought control of Hard Rock International, the tribe pioneered Indian gaming in the U.S., beginning with a bingo hall in Hollywood, Fla., in 1979.

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As a teenager in the 1970s, Ernie Stevens Jr. would get annoyed when his basketball court was co-opted by bingo games.

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He mentioned that his wife was playing bingo at a nearby church.

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Related Words

• poker 
• roulette