Roulette

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɹuːˈlɛt/

Definitions

1. A casino game that features a rotating wheel with numbered slots where players wager on specific numbers or colors
2. A chance-based game involving a spinning wheel and a small ball that determines winners based on where the ball lands
3. A game of chance played on a revolving wheel marked with numbers and colors, where participants place bets on outcomes based on the wheel's spin

Etymology: The game's name comes from the French for "little wheel," a diminutive of "roue," which traces back to Latin "rota." The casino wheel was named for its shape, and the word was borrowed into English with that literal sense intact. Its figurative sense is a more recent development. "Russian roulette," the game in which a player spins a revolver's cylinder with one loaded chamber and pulls the trigger, gave English the idea of a situation where chance carries a serious risk of harm, and the word has been used that way ever since. The shift from a gambling wheel to a deadly gamble is the unusual part. The casino game is harmless, and the sense of danger came from the grim image of the revolver. Nothing in the French "little wheel" hints at it, so the word's meaning has moved a long way from its physical origin.

Synonyms: wheel, game, gambling, chance, risk