First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
1wager
noun wa·ger \ˈwā-jər\
: an agreement in which people try to guess what will happen and the person who guesses wrong has to give something (such as money) to the person who guesses right
: the money or other valuable thing that you could win or lose in a bet
Full Definition of WAGER
1
2
archaic : an act of giving a pledge to take and abide by the result of some action
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Origin of WAGER
Middle English wageour pledge, bet, from Anglo-French wageure, from *wager
2wager
verb
: to risk losing something (such as money) if your guess about what will happen is wrong
—used in the phrase I'll wager to indicate what you think will happen or what you believe is probably true
wa·geredwa·ger·ing \ˈwāj-riŋ, ˈwā-jə-\
Full Definition of WAGER
intransitive verb
: to make a bet
transitive verb
: to risk or venture on a final outcome; specifically : to lay as a gamble : bet <wager $5 on a horse>
— wa·ger·er \ˈwā-jər-ər\ noun
See wager defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of WAGER
1602
WAGER Defined for Kids
1wager
noun wa·ger \ˈwā-jər\
2wager
verb
wa·geredwa·ger·ing
Definition of WAGER for Kids
: to bet on the result of a contest or question
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