the material or equipment used in playing certain games: a store selling toys and games.
3.
a competitive activity involving skill, chance, or endurance on the part of two or more persons who play according to a set of rules, usually for their own amusement or for that of spectators.
4.
a single occasion of such an activity, or a definite portion of one: the final game of the season; a rubber of three games at bridge.
5.
the number of points required to win a game.
6.
the score at a particular stage in a game: With five minutes to play, the game was 7 to 0.
7.
a particular manner or style of playing a game: Her game of chess is improving.
8.
anything resembling a game, as in requiring skill, endurance, or adherence to rules: the game of diplomacy.
9.
a trick or strategy: to see through someone's game.
10.
fun; sport of any kind; joke: That's about enough of your games.
11.
wild animals, including birds and fishes, such as are hunted for food or taken for sport or profit.
12.
the flesh of such wild animals or other game, used as food: a dish of game.
13.
any object of pursuit, attack, abuse, etc.: The new boy at school seemed to be fair game for practical jokers.
14.
Informal. a business or profession: He's in the real-estate game.
15.
Archaic. fighting spirit; pluck.
–adjective
16.
pertaining to or composed of animals hunted or taken as game or to their flesh.
17.
having a fighting spirit; plucky.
18.
Informal. having the required spirit or will (often fol. by for or an infinitive): Who's game for a hike through the woods?
–verb (used without object)
19.
to play games of chance for stakes; gamble.
–verb (used with object)
20.
to squander in gaming (usually fol. by away).
—Idioms
21.
die game,
a.
to die after a brave struggle.
b.
to remain steadfast or in good spirits at the moment of defeat: He knew that as a candidate he didn't have a chance in the world, but he campaigned anyway and died game.
22.
make game of, to make fun of; ridicule: to make game of the weak and defenseless.
23.
play games, to act in an evasive, deceitful, manipulative, or trifling manner in dealing with others: Don't play games with me—I want to know if you love me or not!
24.
play the game, Informal.
a.
to act or play in accordance with the rules.
b.
to act honorably or justly: We naively assumed that our allies would continue to play the game.
Origin: bef. 1000; ME gamen, OE gaman; c. OHG gaman glee
An activity providing entertainment or amusement; a pastime: party games; word games.
A competitive activity or sport in which players contend with each other according to a set of rules: the game of basketball; the game of gin rummy.
A single instance of such an activity: We lost the first game.
games An organized athletic program or contest: track-and-field games; took part in the winter games.
A period of competition or challenge: It was too late in the game to change the schedule of the project.
The total number of points required to win a game: One hundred points is game in bridge.
The score accumulated at any given time in a game: The game is now 14 to 12.
An active interest or pursuit, especially one involving competitive engagement or adherence to rules: "the way the system operates, the access game, the turf game, the image game"(Hedrick Smith).
A business or occupation; a line: the insurance game.
An illegal activity; a racket.
Evasive, trifling, or manipulative behavior: wanted a straight answer, not more of their tiresome games.
A calculated strategy or approach; a scheme: I saw through their game from the very beginning.
Wild animals, birds, or fish hunted for food or sport.
The flesh of these animals, eaten as food.
An object of attack, ridicule, or pursuit: The press considered the candidate's indiscretions to be game.
Mockery; sport: The older children teased and made game of the newcomer.
The total number of points required to win a game: One hundred points is game in bridge.
The score accumulated at any given time in a game: The game is now 14 to 12.
An active interest or pursuit, especially one involving competitive engagement or adherence to rules: "the way the system operates, the access game, the turf game, the image game"(Hedrick Smith).
A business or occupation; a line: the insurance game.
An illegal activity; a racket.
Evasive, trifling, or manipulative behavior: wanted a straight answer, not more of their tiresome games.
A calculated strategy or approach; a scheme: I saw through their game from the very beginning.
Wild animals, birds, or fish hunted for food or sport.
The flesh of these animals, eaten as food.
An object of attack, ridicule, or pursuit: The press considered the candidate's indiscretions to be game.
Mockery; sport: The older children teased and made game of the newcomer.
The equipment needed for playing certain games: packed the children's games in the car.
A particular style or manner of playing a game: improved my tennis game with practice.
Informal
An active interest or pursuit, especially one involving competitive engagement or adherence to rules: "the way the system operates, the access game, the turf game, the image game"(Hedrick Smith).
A business or occupation; a line: the insurance game.
An illegal activity; a racket.
Evasive, trifling, or manipulative behavior: wanted a straight answer, not more of their tiresome games.
A calculated strategy or approach; a scheme: I saw through their game from the very beginning.
Wild animals, birds, or fish hunted for food or sport.
The flesh of these animals, eaten as food.
An object of attack, ridicule, or pursuit: The press considered the candidate's indiscretions to be game.
Mockery; sport: The older children teased and made game of the newcomer.
Informal
Evasive, trifling, or manipulative behavior: wanted a straight answer, not more of their tiresome games.
A calculated strategy or approach; a scheme: I saw through their game from the very beginning.
Wild animals, birds, or fish hunted for food or sport.
The flesh of these animals, eaten as food.
An object of attack, ridicule, or pursuit: The press considered the candidate's indiscretions to be game.
Mockery; sport: The older children teased and made game of the newcomer.
Mathematics A model of a competitive situation that identifies interested parties and stipulates rules governing all aspects of the competition, used in game theory to determine the optimal course of action for an interested party.
Wild animals, birds, or fish hunted for food or sport.
The flesh of these animals, eaten as food.
An object of attack, ridicule, or pursuit: The press considered the candidate's indiscretions to be game.
Mockery; sport: The older children teased and made game of the newcomer.
An object of attack, ridicule, or pursuit: The press considered the candidate's indiscretions to be game.
Mockery; sport: The older children teased and made game of the newcomer.
v.
gamed, gam·ing, games
v.
tr.Archaic To waste or lose by gambling. v.
intr. To play for stakes; gamble. adj.
gam·er, gam·est
Plucky and unyielding in spirit; resolute: She put up a game fight against her detractors.
Ready and willing: Are you game for a swim?
[Middle English, from Old English gamen.] game'ly adv., game'ness n.
game 2 (gām) adj.
gam·er, gam·est Crippled; lame: a game leg.
mod. willing to do something. : Is anybody game for some pizza?
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition. Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
O.E. gamen "joy, fun, amusement," common Gmc. (cf. O.Fris. game, O.N. gaman, O.H.G. gaman "joy, glee"), regarded as identical with Goth. gaman "participation, communion," from P.Gmc. *ga- collective prefix + *mann "person," giving a sense of "people together." Meaning "contest played according to rules" is first attested c.1300. Sense of "wild animals caught for sport" is c.1290; hence fair game (1825), also gamey "having the flavor of game" (1863). Adjective sense of "brave, spirited" is 1725, from the noun, especially in game-cock "bird for fighting." Game plan is 1941, from U.S. football; game show first attested 1961.
game (adj.)
"lame," 1787, from north Midlands dialect, perhaps a variant of gammy (tramps' slang) "bad," or from O.N.Fr. gambe "leg."
[geym] 
noun, adjective, gam⋅er, gam⋅est, verb, gamed, gam⋅ing.
