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pari-mutuel

[ par-i-myoo-choo-uhl ]
/ ˌpær ɪˈmyu tʃu əl /
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noun
a form of betting and of handling the betting on horse races at racetracks, in which those holding winning tickets divide the total amount bet in proportion to their wagers, less a percentage for the management, taxes, etc.
Also called parimutuel machine . an electronic machine that registers bets in parimutuel betting as they are made and calculates and posts the changing odds and final payoffs.
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Origin of pari-mutuel

1880–85; <French: literally, mutual bet

Words nearby pari-mutuel

parietal, parietal bone, parietal cell, parietal eye, parietal lobe, pari-mutuel, paring, paring chisel, paring gouge, paring knife, pari passu
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use pari-mutuel in a sentence

  • There is a Pari Mutuel a little way down the course; or shall we back the horse in the ring?

    Evelyn Innes|George Moore

  • Betting was conducted by the totalisator, or pari-mutuel, the bet being five dollars, repeated as often as you liked.

    The Inhabitants of the Philippines|Frederic H. Sawyer

  • So are the professional gamblers, the betting being on the pari-mutuel system.

    The Personality of American Cities|Edward Hungerford

British Dictionary definitions for pari-mutuel

pari-mutuel
/ (ˌpærɪˈmjuːtjʊəl) /
noun plural pari-mutuels or paris-mutuels (ˌpærɪˈmjuːtjʊəlz)
  1. a system of betting in which those who have bet on the winners of a race share in the total amount wagered less a percentage for the management
  2. (as modifier)the pari-mutuel machine

Word Origin for pari-mutuel

C19: from French, literally: mutual wager
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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