sweepstakes

[sweep-steyks]

noun

(used with a singular or plural verb)

1. a race or other contest for which the prize consists of the stakes contributed by the various competitors.

2. the prize itself.

3. a lottery in which winning tickets are selected at random, each winning-ticket number then being matched to one of the horses nominated for or entered in a specific race, and the amounts paid the winners being determined by the finishing order of the horses that run.

4. lottery.

5. any gambling transaction in which each of a number of persons contributes a stake, and the stakes are awarded to one or several winners.

6. a risky venture that promises large rewards.

   the high-tech sweepstakes.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sweepstakes¹

1485–95; earlier swepestake originally, a person who won all the stakes in a game; sweep ¹, stake ², -s ³

Related Words

• betting www.thesaurus.com
• chance 
• long shot 
• odds 
• pledge 
• risk 
• speculation 
• stake 
• venture 
• wager