martingale

American  

[mahr-tn-geyl] / ˈmɑr tnˌgeɪl /

noun

1. Also called standing martingale.  part of the tack or harness of a horse, consisting of a strap that fastens to the girth, passes between the forelegs and through a loop in the neckstrap or hame, and fastens to the noseband: used to steady or hold down the horse's head.

2. Also called running martingale.  a similar device that divides at the chest into two branches, each ending in a ring through which the reins pass.

3. Nautical. a stay for a jib boom or spike bowsprit.

4. a system of gambling in which the stakes are doubled or otherwise raised after each loss.

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martingale British  

/ ˈmɑːtɪnˌɡeɪl /

noun

1. a strap from the reins to the girth of a horse preventing it from carrying its head too high

2. any gambling system in which the stakes are raised, usually doubled, after each loss

3. Also called: martingale boom.  nautical

   1. a chain or cable running from a jib boom to the dolphin striker, serving to counteract strain

   2. another term for dolphin striker

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Etymology

Origin of martingale

1580–90; < Middle French: kind of hose fastened at the back, allegedly < Provençal martegalo, feminine of martegal, inhabitant of Martigue, town in SE France, though sense apparently influenced by Spanish almártaga harness < Arabic al-martaʿah the vein

Example Sentences

Across the Atlantic, co-authors Manzano and Roldán have been developing a tool from the mathematics of finance -- the martingale theory -- to address the thermodynamic behavior of small fluctuating systems at stopping times.

From Science Daily • May 13, 2024

Still, if you find yourself placing wagers with odds in your favor, ditch the martingale and remember that the Kelly criterion is a better bet.

From Scientific American • Aug. 10, 2023

Second, when I barked out instructions — “Don’t step on the girth!” and “Do you see the martingale anywhere?” — he looked at me as if I had just ordered breakfast in Japanese.

From New York Times • Jul. 31, 2020

“What could this talented YouTuber offer? Surely she didn’t know what a martingale back is to a Balenciaga one-seamed coat,” Talley writes.

From The Guardian • May 23, 2020

It is a common idea that the chief use of a running martingale is to prevent a horse raising his head too high.

From The Horsewoman A Practical Guide to Side-Saddle Riding, 2nd. Ed. by Hayes, M. Horace (Matthew Horace)