Other forms: gambling, gambled, gambles
To gamble is to risk money or safety on an uncertain outcome. Gamble on it, a reckless gamble, gambled everything.
The house edge means that over enough bets the operator wins, which is arithmetic rather than luck. Figuratively a gamble is any decision taken on an uncertain chance. Note that the word comes from the same root as game, so gambling was once simply playing.
1verbgambleTo risk money on an uncertain outcome.
“He gambled away his wages at the casino every Friday night.”
2nounriskyA risky decision.
“Leaving her job to start a business was a gamble, but it paid off.”
gamble is a risking.
Gamble comes from an older gamel, from Middle English gamenen, to play, from Old English gamen, joy or sport. Game is the same root.
Middle English
*gamlen
English, today
gamble
Built from
From earlier gamel, from Middle English gamlen, gamelen, variant of Middle English gamenen, from Old English gæmnian, gamnian, gamenian (“to joke; play”), related to Old English gamen (“joy; mirth; pleasure; entertainment; pastime; sport; game”), equivalent to game + le. Compare gmq-oda gammel, Middle High German gamel (“pleasure; fun”). More at game.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA