Casino

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kəˈsiːnəʊ/

Definitions

1. A establishment where people gamble on games of chance, typically also offering entertainment, dining, and lodging facilities
2. A venue designed for wagering on games of chance, often featuring additional services like dining and entertainment options
3. An establishment where individuals engage in gambling activities involving games of chance, which may also include restaurants and performance spaces

Etymology: The most surprising thing about "casino" is that it started out meaning something quite modest: a little house. In Italian, "casino" is a diminutive of "casa" ("house"), which in turn comes from Latin "casa", meaning a cottage or hut. The diminutive suffix shrank a house into a small house, a summerhouse or pavilion, and the sense of "a den of pleasure" came later. Over time, the Italian word drifted from "little house" toward "brothel" and "uproar" and, eventually, toward the gaming hall. English borrowed the word in the Italian form, and it kept the idea of a building set apart for a certain kind of pleasure, now gambling rather than the original domestic sense.

Synonyms: gambling house, gaming establishment, gambling den, betting place, gaming hall