| martingale (def. 1). |
[mahr-tn-geyl] 
| 1. | Also called standing martingale. part of the tack or harness of a horse, consisting of a strap that fastens to the girth, passes between the forelegs and through a loop in the neckstrap or hame, and fastens to the noseband: used to steady or hold down the horse's head. |
| 2. | Also called running martingale. a similar device that divides at the chest into two branches, each ending in a ring through which the reins pass. |
| 3. | Nautical. a stay for a jib boom or spike bowsprit. |
| 4. | a system of gambling in which the stakes are doubled or otherwise raised after each loss. |
