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bet

[bet]

Example Sentences Origin

verb (used with object)

to wager with (something or someone).

verb (used without object)

to make a wager: Do you want to bet?

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Bet is one of our favorite verbs.

So is lollygag. Does it mean:

to run away hurriedly; flee.

to spend time idly; loaf.

LEARN MORE FUN, UNUSUAL VERBS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

noun

a pledge of a forfeit risked on some uncertain outcome; wager: Where do we place our bets?

that which is pledged: a two-dollar bet.

something that is bet on, as a competitor in a sporting event or a number in a lottery: That horse looks like a good bet.

an act or instance of betting: It's a bet, then?

a person, plan of action, etc., considered as being a good alternative; choice: Your best bet is to sell your stocks now.

Idiom

you bet! Informal. of course! surely!: You bet I'd like to be there!

Origin:
1585–95; perhaps special use of obsolete bet better, in phrase the bet the advantage, i.e., the odds

Synonyms
1. gamble, stake, risk, hazard, venture, chance.

Example Sentences

My bet is people are busy enough that they don't have the time to think of e-mailing in this situation.

At the beginning of a deal or a roll you have to bet on something.

It's a safe bet that global warming is causing more heat waves, climate experts say.

EXPAND

My bet is people are busy enough that they don't have the time to think of e-mailing in this situation.

At the beginning of a deal or a roll you have to bet on something.

It's a safe bet that global warming is causing more heat waves, climate experts say.

After the first bet, you will know who the truth tellers are and will be able to bet the maximum each time.

Fifty years ago a brewer's bet spawned a compelling compendium of feats, stunts and trivia.

We think they are a safe bet to sweeten your tailgate.

It's probably a safe bet that right this second, millions of people are playing games, in one form or another.

I'll bet you either stop doing it completely or you get a reputation as a totally cool professor.

He offered to bet that the prices of raw materials would actually fall.

But it's a good bet that there's nothing as popular while at the same time as utterly.

However some private investors are starting to bet on low cost solar in a big way.

Their agreement doesn't guarantee certainty, only a good bet.

It's this enduring appeal coupled with a limited housing supply that make for about as safe a second-home bet as you'll find.

Suppose you could discern market trends, speed up time to see where those trends were going, then bet on what you discovered.

Your best bet is to turn it off, leave the door open, and give it a thorough cleaning.

Shareholders have bet on it all year, driving down the share price of what is still the world's second.

The best bet is to start out on a toprope until you have your systems dialed.

It is safe to bet that a flying motorcycle will never be a practical transportation option.

I'd bet a couple of sugarplums in the pocket would power some hard-core dashing through the snow.

Bet this really increased the value of the house, too, especially now that you can see it from the street.

So it's probably a safe bet that it's not going to be a golf sim.

After that opener, you can bet would-be hecklers kept their pie-holes shut.

Buying a house on a high multiple of your income is a bet that your income is likely to rise quickly.

International experts are touting the widely banned pesticide as a best bet to.

Bet you'll find it hard not to compare hands and personalities at your next party.

For power grids, sodium-sulfur technology is the best bet.

Bet hugging your horse is more soothing than hugging my fish.

For many people, it is the biggest financial bet they will ever make.

For many species, including this blenny, invisibility is the best bet for survival.

I'd bet there are no clauses for failure penalties in any of the pertinent contracts.

Click through our reader submissions to see your best bet for survival.

If you want to stay in academia, special collections librarianship might be a better bet.

He became famous after he bet against the housing bubble but is now in the limelight for less flattering reasons.

Until there's proof, flowers and chocolate are probably a safer bet.

I'll bet the detection level is several orders of magnitude lower.

But it sure is your best bet against a pressurized explosion.

I'd bet that parents worldwide schlep nachas when their children are happy and succeed.

Such a bet could still lose money, of course, if the world slipped into a non-inflationary recession.

Your best bet is to explore the park by organized tour.

If you knew game theory you would understand the point of the bet.

GM has bet the farm on this car, which has been hyped and hated in equal measure.

In my experience, you can bet that while faculty may not get raises in bad budget times, administrators always get theirs.

They may have bet too much money on shares, but feel that buying bonds would lock them into low returns.

Steinhardt declined to bet on whether it or the conventional model is more representative of the nature of the universe.

I'll bet they have systems in place to watch for persons stealing medication.

If you will be in the city, your best bet to keep warm and still look good for the interview are:.

As a result, almost every trade by a studio would be an insider bet.

For some organic gardeners, the best bet is to buy organic materials and mix soil in your own garden.

Cold-fusion powered anything would be the better bet.

I'll bet not many go back and look at it, though this will depend on the course material.

But it is not something a sober investor would bet the farm on.

London's public transport is pricey, so your best bet is to walk whenever possible.

I'll bet it does happen to an extent, and that offending parties don't even realize it.

One solution would be a large one-off appreciation of the yuan so that investors no longer see it as a one-way bet.

Your best bet if bitten in the field is to get to a hospital.

The best bet is purchasing a santo made by a living santero, usually a great value considering their heritage and uniqueness.

Recycled sets can fare better but that's not a sure bet.

Post on the newest of my blogs and i will try my bet to review them all.

When two teams are closely matched, always bet on red.

COLLAPSE

Dictionary.com Unabridged

noun

beth.

Trademark.

Black Entertainment Television: a cable television channel.

between.

Link To bet

Collins

World English Dictionary

bet (bɛt)

—n
1.	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
10.	informal you bet of course; naturally

[C16: probably short for abet]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

bet

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

EXPAND

"bait" sense in abet. Used since 1852 in various Amer.Eng. slang assertions (cf. you bet "be assured," 1857). Related: Betting.

COLLAPSE

American Heritage

Abbreviations & Acronyms

BET
Black Entertainment Television

American Heritage

Idioms & Phrases

bet

In addition to the idioms beginning with bet, also see back (bet on) the wrong horse; hedge one's bets; you bet your ass.