raffle
1- a form of lottery in which a number of persons buy one or more chances to win a prize.
- to dispose of by a raffle (often followed by off): to raffle off a watch.
- to take part in a raffle.
Origin of raffle
1raffle
2- rubbish.
- Nautical. a tangle, as of ropes, canvas, etc.
Origin of raffle
2Related Words for raffle
sweepstake, draw, flier, pool, stake, sweep, lots, disposition, gambling, speculation, wager, drawing, bet, tossup, gaming, numbersExamples from the Web for raffle
Contemporary Examples of raffle
The winners will be drawn on January 8, which makes the raffle tickets the perfect Christmas gift.
Historical Examples of raffle
I dont at all like the idea of vaudeville, and I abhor a raffle!
They are going to raffle Hartrath's picture,—for the benefit of the Gingerbread Fair.
The OctopusFrank Norris
The drawing of the numbers in the raffle was about to be made.
The OctopusFrank Norris
And so he is going to part with his mare by raffle,” said the squire; “pray what does he want for her?
Amos HuntingdonT.P. Wilson
I shan't know what to do with them; unless I raffle them off.
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, CompleteMark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
raffle
- a lottery in which the prizes are goods rather than money
- (as modifier)a raffle ticket
- (tr often foll by off) to dispose of (goods) in a raffle
Word Origin for raffle
Word Origin and History for raffle
late 14c., "dice game," from Old French rafle "dice game," also "plundering," perhaps from a Germanic source (cf. Middle Dutch raffel "dice game," Old Frisian hreppa "to move," Old Norse hreppa "to reach, get," Swedish rafs "rubbish," Old High German raspon "to scrape together, snatch up in haste," German raffen "to snatch away, sweep off"), from Proto-Germanic *khrap- "to pluck out, snatch off." The notion would be "to sweep up (the stakes), to snatch (the winnings)." Dietz connects the French word with the Germanic root, but OED is against this. Meaning "sale of chances" first recorded 1766.
"dispose of by raffle," 1851, from raffle (n.). Related: Raffled; raffling.