Tombola

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A game of chance, similar to bingo, in which numbered tickets are drawn to win prizes ; the rotating drum from which the numbered balls or tickets are selected
2. A raffle-like game played by drawing numbered pieces at random to claim prizes ; a revolving cage or drum that mixes the numbers before each draw
3. An Italian-style lottery game where players match drawn numbers for prizes ; a rotating container that tumbles the numbered objects so they can be picked randomly

Etymology: The Italian "tombola" is a game of chance, and it is also a verb in its own right: "tombolare" means to tumble or roll over, so the game takes its name from the act of something tumbling. Italian speakers used the word for a lottery-style game played with numbered cards, where the numbers are drawn and called out, and the name points back to the rolling or tumbling motion of the drawn objects. English borrowed the word directly from Italian, keeping its meaning as a game of chance. In English the game is best known in its bingo-like form, the numbered-card version that players call out and mark off as the numbers come up. The word is therefore a case of an Italian name carried over with the game it labelled, rather than one that changed sense on the way.

Synonyms: raffle, lottery, sweepstake, draw