Link Centre Dictionary

bet

UK/ˈbɛt/ US/ˈbɛt/ very common informal
verb (3) noun (2)

verb

1.

maintain with or as if with a bet

  • “I bet she will be there!”
Synonyms
2.

stake on the outcome of an issue

  • “I bet $100 on that new horse”
  • “She played all her money on the dark horse”
Synonyms
3.

have faith or confidence in

  • “you can count on me to help you any time”
  • “Look to your friends for support”
  • “You can bet on that!”
  • “Depend on your family in times of crisis”
Synonyms

noun

1.

the money risked on a gamble

Synonyms
2.

the act of gambling

  • “he did it on a bet”
Synonyms

Origin

From 16th-century criminal slang, perhaps from Middle English bet (“something better, advantage, luck”), from Old English bet, bett (“better”, adverb); or, alternatively from abet, from Middle English abet, abette, from Old French abet (“incitement to evil”), from Old French abeter (“to entice”), from a- (“to”) + beter (“hound on, urge, to bait”); ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *baitijan (“to bait, entice”), related to Old English bǣtan (“to bait”). More at abet.

Phrases

  • best bet
  • bet a dime to a dollar
  • bet a dollar to a dime
  • bet a dollar to a donut
  • bet a dollar to a doughnut
  • bet dollars to donuts
  • bet dollars to doughnuts
  • bet exchange
  • bet on
  • bet one's ass
  • bet round
  • blocker bet

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

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Parts

Related verbs

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.