sweepstake
Americannoun
noun
-
-
a lottery in which the stakes of the participants constitute the prize
-
the prize itself
-
-
any event involving a lottery, esp a horse race in which the prize is the competitors' stakes
Etymology
Origin of sweepstake
C15: originally referring to someone who sweeps or takes all the stakes in a game
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I’m told a group of Labour staffers is eagerly holding a sweepstake about what it could be - but a source suggests, in a bleak financial situation, they stand to be sorely disappointed.
From BBC
"You only do that because you think you have to, but using a sweepstake is not a bad idea. Whether or not it will work is another whole thing. It could just as easily backfire," he told CNBC.
From BBC
"They all thought I was going to kick the bucket, but I won the sweepstake down the golf club."
From BBC
In summary, if you have India or Pakistan in the workplace sweepstake, you might be in the money.
From BBC
Keisha Schahaff joined her daughter after winning their tickets in a sweepstake.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
