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penny ante

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See synonyms for: penny ante / penny antes on Thesaurus.com

noun
Cards. a game of poker in which the ante or basic bet is one cent.
Informal. any business arrangement or transaction involving a trifling or paltry sum of money.
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Origin of penny ante

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55

Other definitions for penny ante (2 of 2)

penny-ante
[ pen-ee-an-tee ]
/ ˈpɛn iˈæn ti /

adjective Informal.
involving a trifling sum of money; small in amount: a penny-ante investment.
inconsiderable; minor; small-time.

Origin of penny-ante

An Americanism dating back to 1930–35
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use penny ante in a sentence

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