Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

gambit

/ˈɡæmbɪt/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.10 in modern English

Syllables: gam-bit
IPA: /ˈɡæmbɪt/

11

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An opening in chess in which material is sacrificed to gain an advantage.

noun

Any ploy or stratagem.

noun

A remark intended to open a conversation.

verb

To sacrifice (a pawn or minor piece) to gain an advantage.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"Her clever gambit gave her an advantage."
"Their promise to lower taxes is clearly an election-year gambit."
"The Red Holocaust is best interpreted in this light as the bitter fruit of an^([sic]) utopian gambit that was socially misengineered into a dystopic nightmare by despots in humanitarian disguise."
"An opening sequence, featuring a de-aged Ford playing a younger Indy, is a bold and nostalgic gambit, offering a glimpse of what you've missed."

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kh₂em- Proto-Indo-European *kh₂emp- Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *kh₂empeh₂ Proto-Hellenic *kampā́ Ancient Greek καμπή (kampḗ)bor. Late Latin gamba Italian gamba Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Italic *-tosder.? Late Latin -ittus Italian -etto Italian gambettobor. English gambit Borrowed from Italian gambetto (“act of tripping; gambit”), from gamba (“leg”) + -etto (diminutive suffix). First attested in 1656.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈɡæmbɪt/

Usage

Transitive verb

Inflected Forms

gambits (plural) gambett (alternative, obsolete) gambits (present, singular) gambiting (participle, present) gambited (participle, past) gambited (past)

Derived Forms

countergambit

Phrases

Botez gambit Evans Gambit Galileo gambit Kings's Gambit Queen's Gambit Queen's Gambit Declined Stafford gambit Tennison Gambit

Synonyms

ploy stratagem

Rhymes With

ambit

Questions

How do you pronounce gambit?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɡæmbɪt/.
What does gambit mean?: An opening in chess in which material is sacrificed to gain an advantage.
Where does gambit come from?: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kh₂em- Proto-Indo-European *kh₂emp- Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *kh₂empeh₂ Proto-Hellenic *kampā́ Ancient Greek καμπή (kampḗ)bor. Late Latin gamba Italian gamba Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Italic *-tosder.? Late Latin -ittus Italian -etto Italian gambettobor. English gambit Borrowed from Italian gambetto (“act of tripping; gambit”), from gamba (“leg”) + -etto (diminutive suffix). First attested in 1656.

How to pronounce gambit

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