First Known Use: 1656
Dictionary
gambit
noun gam·bit \ˈgam-bət\
: a planned series of moves at the beginning of a game of chess
: something done or said in order to gain an advantage or to produce a desired result
Full Definition of GAMBIT
1
: a chess opening in which a player risks one or more pawns or a minor piece to gain an advantage in position
2
See gambit defined for English-language learners
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Origin of GAMBIT
Italian gambetto, literally, act of tripping someone, from gamba leg, from Late Latin gamba, camba, from Greek kampē bend; probably akin to Gothic hamfs maimed, Lithuanian kampas corner
Related to GAMBIT
Rhymes with GAMBIT
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