lotto
Americannoun
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a game of chance in which a leader draws numbered disks at random from a stock and the players cover the corresponding numbers on their cards, the winner being the first to cover a complete row.
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a lottery, as one operated by a state government, in which players choose numbers that are matched against those of the official drawing, the winning numbers typically paying large cash prizes.
noun
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Also called: housey-housey. a children's game in which numbered discs, counters, etc, are drawn at random and called out, while the players cover the corresponding numbers on cards, the winner being the first to cover all the numbers, a particular row, etc Compare bingo
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a lottery
Etymology
Origin of lotto
1770–80; < Italian < Germanic; see lot
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.
It’s not known how long other Affinity-owned properties in the area, such as the popular Lotto Store on the California side of the border, will continue to operate.
From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026
When the exchanges turn stocks into daily Lotto games, those bets will be profitably absorbed by sophisticated dealers, especially Citadel, Susquehanna, and Wolverine.
From Barron's • Dec. 10, 2025
A spokesperson said earlier: "We expect to complete tonight's Lotto draw and publish the verified results on national-lottery.co.uk later this evening and apologise for the delay."
From BBC • Oct. 25, 2025
As in, the odds of matching all five Super Lotto Plus numbers plus the Mega number are 41 million to 1.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2024
“Y’all need to get some Lotto tickets up in here, baby,” she says as Daddy rings her up and I bag her stuff.
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
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.
