Betting

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈbɛ.tɪŋ/

Definitions

1. The action of staking money on uncertain outcomes while anticipating financial gain occurs through the prediction of event results
2. The activity of risking something valuable on the chance of a future event to win a reward
3. The practice of placing stakes on events with unpredictable results in hopes of gaining profit

Etymology: Gambling on horses is old, but the word "bet" itself first appeared as criminal slang in the 16th century, and its exact origin is still disputed. One candidate is "bett", an old adverb meaning "better", as in "I'd bet on it" once implying a choice of the better wager. Another proposal traces it to "abet", from an Old French verb meaning to urge on, and ultimately to a root linked to Old English "bǣtan", "to bait", as in setting dogs on an animal. Under that reading, a bet was originally a kind of incitement, a push toward a contest. The "-ing" ending is just the ordinary suffix that turns a verb into a gerund and participle, so "betting" adds no separate history of its own. The word now covers wagers of every sort, from racecourse odds to sports spreads.

Synonyms: wagering, gambling