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

An Americanism first recorded in 1820–30; alteration of earlier paroli, from French, from Neapolitan Italian, plural of parolo, perhaps derivative of paro “equal,” from Latin pār; see pair¹

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

How to use parlay in a sentence

But McCarthy parlayed her naked ambition into a pretty fabulous career.
Jenny McCarthy: I Am Not Anti-Vaccine | Lloyd Grove | October 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Bloggers like Tavi Gevinson have parlayed their brand into celebrity and collaborations with Fortune 500 companies.
Tavi Gevinson: From Teen Fashion Queen to Broadway Star | Arabelle Sicardi | July 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
I had moved to L.A. and gotten a little bit of traction there, and I think my manager parlayed that into an audition.
Kate McKinnon Is the Future of ‘Saturday Night Live’ | Kevin Fallon | November 21, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
But it is one that Levin has parlayed into being the voice of a movement that has confounded those outside of it.
Radio’s Mark Levin Might Be the Most Powerful Conservative You Never Heard Of | David Freedlander | October 19, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Olympian Ryan Lochte has parlayed his success in London into front-row seats at New York Fashion Week.
Building Brand Lochte | Rebecca Dana | September 11, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST

In thirty years, he had parlayed that into one of the biggest fortunes in the Solar System.
Anything You Can Do ... | Gordon Randall Garrett

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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