parlay

[ pahr-ley, -lee ]

See synonyms for: parlay parlayed on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to bet or gamble (an original amount and its winnings) on a subsequent race, contest, etc.
Informal. to use (one's money, talent, or other assets) to achieve a desired objective, as spectacular wealth or success: He parlayed a modest inheritance into a fortune.

noun

a bet of an original sum and the subsequent winnings.

Origin of parlay

1820–30, Americanism; alteration of earlier paroli<French <Neapolitan Italian, plural of parolo, perhaps derivative of paro equal <Latin pār;see pair

Words Nearby parlay

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use parlay in a sentence

Luckily, we found a walled compound, and asked the people there to arrange a parlay.
Tim Cahill Is an Outside Legend. Thank Goodness He Didn’t Die. | jversteegh | December 28, 2021 | Outside Online
You can also use a variation of a parlay bet called a teaser, in which bettors can move the point spread a fixed amount of points in their favor, generally 6, 6½ or 7 points.
The NFL’s key numbers are 3 and 7. Bettors better understand them. | Neil Greenberg | September 10, 2021 | Washington Post
Ditto Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who won easily, and might parlay his success into a presidential bid.
For Conservatives, Liberal Tears Taste Sweet | Matt Lewis | November 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
How he intends to practically parlay that will be fascinating to watch.
Tim Cook: Why ‘I’m Gay’ Isn’t Enough | Tim Teeman | October 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
An unfettered Lagarde could parlay her stint managing crises in Washington for glittering new adventures.
IMF Chief Lagarde Placed Under Formal Investigation in France | Tracy McNicoll | August 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

Smartphone apps like Grindr have been able to parlay that acceleration of trust (and, dare we say, desire) into a big business.
Generation Naive: Why Young People Can’t Help Falling for Strangers Online | Caitlin Dickson | March 25, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Can she parlay her position and knowledge gained on the House Intelligence Committee into credibility as commander in chief?
CNN Foreign-Policy GOP Presidential Debate Crystal Ball | Mark McKinnon | November 22, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
M. le Compte de Varique ne se playt qua parlay de vous: M. de Moon aucy.
The History of Henry Esmond, Esq. | W. M. Thackeray
Bub Smith wus well acquainted with the President's hired man, so he let us in without parlay.
Sweet Cicely | Josiah Allen's Wife: Marietta Holley
Others might falter on the way; might palter with the truth; might parlay with the enemy.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 104, March 4, 1893 | Various
The house of parlay was a big two-story frame affair, built of California lumber, with a galvanized iron roof.
A Son Of The Sun | Jack London
parlay skipped with astonishing nimbleness across the crowded room to the barometer on the wall.
A Son Of The Sun | Jack London

British Dictionary definitions for parlay

parlay

/ (ˈpɑːlɪ) US and Canadian /

verb(tr)

to stake (winnings from one bet) on a subsequent wager: Brit equivalent: double up
to exploit (one's talent) to achieve worldly success

noun

a bet in which winnings from one wager are staked on another, or a series of such bets

Origin of parlay

C19: variant of paroli, via French from Neapolitan Italian parolo, from paro a pair, from Latin pār equal, par

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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