Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

russian roulette

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.38 in modern English

Syllables
rus-sian roulette
IPA
15
Scrabble Score
15
Letters
2
Syllables
10
Unique Chars

Meaning

name

A deadly game in which a person loads a single bullet in the cylinder of a revolver, spins the cylinder so that the bullet's location is unknown, points the muzzle at his/her head, and pulls the trigger. In its most lethal form, played by multiple participants each of whom takes a turn until the weapon discharges.

Uncountable

name

Any activity, especially a needless one, that carries a high risk of death or disaster.

Uncountable

Etymology

From roulette, a game of chance involving a revolving wheel. The first description is apparently in "The Fatalist," an 1840 short story by Russian writer Mikhail Lermontov.

Usage

Inflected Forms

rush and roulette (alternative)

Phrases

tempt fate court disaster

Frequently Paired Words

tempt fate court disaster

Questions

What does russian roulette mean?
A deadly game in which a person loads a single bullet in the cylinder of a revolver, spins the cylinder so that the bullet's location is unknown, points the muzzle at his/her head, and pulls the trigger. In its most lethal form, played by multiple participants each of whom takes a turn until the weapon discharges.
Where does russian roulette come from?
From roulette, a game of chance involving a revolving wheel. The first description is apparently in "The Fatalist," an 1840 short story by Russian writer Mikhail Lermontov.

How to pronounce russian roulette

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “russian roulette”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “russian roulette”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “russian roulette” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.