gambling
Americannoun
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the activity or practice of playing at a game of chance for money or other stakes.
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the act or practice of risking the loss of something important by taking a chance or acting recklessly.
If you don't back up your data, that's gambling.
Etymology
Origin of gambling
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Iowa farmer is gambling on good weather and leftover nutrients in the soil from last year’s crop as he plans to slash his fertilizer usage this year.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
There are also treatment, support groups and other resources to help people with compulsive gambling and spending, and buying her a house will not necessarily make the problem go away.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 29, 2026
Prosecutors said Monday they would seek additional charges against Rozier in the sports betting case because they had developed evidence that the 10-year NBA veteran solicited a bribe during an alleged gambling scheme.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026
While we have counseled that speculating on earnings reports is gambling, it remains one of the most prevalent pastimes in the stock and options market.
From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026
You could listen to the music, dance, get a plate with a mountain of shrimp, and do some gambling in the back.
From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
