an agreement between two parties that a sum of money or other stake will be paid by the loser to the party who correctly predicts the outcome of an event
2.
the money or stake risked
3.
the predicted result in such an agreement: his bet was that the horse would win
4.
a person, event, etc, considered as likely to succeed or occur: it's a good bet that they will succeed
5.
a course of action (esp in the phrase one's best bet)
6.
informal an opinion; view: my bet is that you've been up to no good
—vb (when intr foll by on or against) , bets, betting, bet, betted
7.
to make or place a bet with (a person or persons)
8.
(tr) to stake (money, etc) in a bet
9.
informal (tr; may take a clause as object) to predict (a certain outcome): I bet she fails
1590s, in the argot of petty criminals; probably aphetic of abet, or from obsolete beet "to make good," from O.E. bætan "make better, arouse, stimulate," from P.Gmc. *baitjanan. The original notion is perhaps "to improve" a contest by wagering on it, or it is from the