gambit
[ gam-bit ]
/ ˈgæm bɪt /
noun
Chess. an opening in which a player seeks to obtain some advantage by sacrificing a pawn or piece.
any maneuver by which one seeks to gain an advantage.
a remark made to open or redirect a conversation.
Nearby words
Origin of gambit
1650–60; < French < Spanish gambito or Italian gambetto (akin to Old French gambet, jambet), equivalent to gamb(a) leg + -etta -et
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Examples from the Web for gambit
British Dictionary definitions for gambit
gambit
/ (ˈɡæmbɪt) /
noun
chess an opening move in which a chessman, usually a pawn, is sacrificed to secure an advantageous position
an opening comment, manoeuvre, etc, intended to secure an advantage or promote a point of view
Word Origin for gambit
C17: from French, from Italian gambetto a tripping up, from gamba leg
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for gambit
gambit
"chess opening in which a pawn is risked for advantage later," 1650s, gambett, from Italian gambetto, literally "a tripping up" (as a trick in wrestling), from gamba "leg," from Late Latin gamba (see gambol). Applied to chess openings in Spanish in 1561 by Ruy Lopez, who traced it to the Italian word, but the form in Spanish generally was gambito, which led to French gambit, which has influenced the English spelling of the word. Broader sense of "opening move meant to gain advantage" in English is recorded from 1855.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper