English
game
Pronunciation Etymology 1

From Middle English game, gamen, gammen, from Old English gamen, from Proto-West Germanic *gaman, from Proto-Germanic *gamaną, from *ga- + *mann- ("man"); or alternatively from *ga- + a root from Proto-Indo-European *men-.

Cognate with ofs game, gome, Middle High German gamen, Swedish gamman, Icelandic gaman. Related to gammon, gamble.

Noun

game

  1. A playful or competitive activity.
    1. A playful activity that may be unstructured; an amusement or pastime.
      Synonyms: amusement, diversion, entertainment, festivity, frolic, fun, gaiety, gambol, lark, merriment, merrymaking, pastime, play, prank, recreation, sport, spree
      Antonyms: drudgery, work, toil
      Being a child is all fun and games.
    2. (countable) An activity described by a set of rules, especially for the purpose of entertainment, often competitive or having an explicit goal.
      Synonyms: Thesaurus:game
      Games in the classroom can make learning fun.
    3. (UK, in plural) A school subject during which sports are practised.
      • 1991 September, Stephen Fry, chapter 1, in The Liar, London: Heinemann, →ISBN, →OCLC ↗, section III, page 26 ↗:
        From time to time tracksuited boys ran past them, with all the deadly purpose and humourless concentration of those who enjoyed Games.
    4. (countable) A particular instance of playing a game.
      Synonyms: match
      Sally won the game.
      They can turn the game around in the second half.
      • 1908, W[illiam] B[lair] M[orton] Ferguson, chapter I, in Zollenstein, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC ↗:
        “I'm through with all pawn-games,” I laughed. “Come, let us have a game of lansquenet. Either I will take a farewell fall out of you or you will have your sevenfold revenge”.
    5. That which is gained, such as the stake in a game.
    6. The number of points necessary to win a game.
      In short whist, five points are game.
      See also: for the win
    7. (card games) In some games, a point awarded to the player whose cards add up to the largest sum.
    8. (countable) The equipment that enables such activity, particularly as packaged under a title.
      Some of the games in the closet we have on the computer as well.
    9. One's manner, style, or performance in playing a game.
      Study can help your game of chess.
      Hit the gym if you want to toughen up your game.
      • 1951, J. D. Salinger, chapter 11, in The Catcher in the Rye, Boston, Mass.: Little, Brown and Company, →OCLC ↗:
        I played golf with her that same afternoon. She lost eight balls, I remember. Eight. I had a terrible time getting her to at least open her eyes when she took a swing at the ball. I improved her game immensely, though.
    10. (countable) Ellipsis of video game
  2. (now, rare) Lovemaking, flirtation.
  3. (slang) Prostitution. (Now chiefly in on the game.)
    • c. 1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act IV, scene v] ↗, lines 61–63:
      ſet them downe, / For ſlottiſh ſpoyles of opportunitie; / And daughters of the game.
    • 1755, Miguel de Cervantes, translated by Tobias Smollett, Don Quixote, Volume 1, I.2:
      [H]e put spurs to his horse, and just in the twilight reached the gate, where, at that time, there happened to be two ladies of the game [translating mugeres moças], who being on their journey to Seville, with the carriers, had chanced to take up their night's lodging in this place.
  4. (countable, informal, nearly always singular) A field of gainful activity, as an industry or profession.
    Synonyms: line
    When it comes to making sales, John is the best in the game.
    He's in the securities game somehow.
  5. (countable, figuratively) Something that resembles a game with rules, despite not being designed.
    In the game of life, you may find yourself playing the waiting game far too often.
    • 1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act II, scene i], page 77 ↗, column 2:
      I ſee you ſtand like Grey-hounds in the ſlips, / Straying vpon the Start. The Game’s afoot:
    • 1908, W[illiam] B[lair] M[orton] Ferguson, chapter I, in Zollenstein, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC ↗:
      “I'm through with all pawn-games,” I laughed. “Come, let us have a game of lansquenet. Either I will take a farewell fall out of you or you will have your sevenfold revenge”.
  6. (countable, military) An exercise simulating warfare, whether computerized or involving human participants.
    Synonyms: wargame
  7. (countable) A questionable or unethical practice in pursuit of a goal.
    Synonyms: scheme, racket
    You want to borrow my credit card for a week? What's your game?
  8. (uncountable) Wild animals hunted for food.
    The forest has plenty of game.
  9. (uncountable, informal, used mostly for men) The ability to seduce someone, usually by strategy.
    He didn't get anywhere with her because he had no game.
  10. (uncountable, slang) Mastery; the ability to excel at something.
  11. (uncountable, archaic) Diversion, entertainment.
    • 1611, Joseph Hall, “Epistle VIII. To E.B. Dedicated to Sir George Goring.”, in Epistles […], volume III, London: […] [William Stansby and William Jaggard] for Samuell Macham, […], →OCLC ↗, 5th decade, pages 95–96 ↗:
      To ſet the minde on the racke of long meditation (you ſay) is a torment: to follow the ſwift foote of your hound alday long, hath no wearineſſe: what would you ſay of him that finds better game in his ſtudie, then you in the fielde, and would account your diſport his puniſhment? ſuch there are, though you doubt and wonder.
Translations Translations Translations Translations Adjective

game (comparative gamer, superlative gamest)

  1. (colloquial) Willing and able to participate.
    Synonyms: sporting, willing, daring, disposed, favorable, nervy, courageous, valiant
    Antonyms: cautious, disinclined
    • 1851 November 13, Herman Melville, chapter 36, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC ↗, page 180 ↗:
      " […] But what’s this long face about, Mr. Starbuck; wilt thou not chase the white whale? art not game for Moby Dick?”
  2. (of an animal) That shows a tendency to continue to fight against another animal, despite being wounded, often severely.
  3. Persistent, especially in senses similar to the above.
Translations Verb

game (games, present participle gaming; simple past and past participle gamed)

  1. (intransitive) To gamble.
  2. (intransitive) To play card games, board games or video games.
  3. (transitive) To exploit loopholes in a system or bureaucracy in a way which defeats or nullifies the spirit of the rules in effect, usually to obtain a result which otherwise would be unobtainable.
    We'll bury them in paperwork, and game the system.
  4. (transitive, seduction community, slang, of males) To perform premeditated seduction strategy.
Translations Translations Adjective

game

  1. (of a limb) Injured, lame.
    • 1906 April, O. Henry [pseudonym; William Sydney Porter], “Lost on Dress Parade”, in The Four Million, New York, N.Y.: McClure, Phillips & Co, →OCLC ↗:
      You come with me and we'll have a cozy dinner and a pleasant talk together, and by that time your game ankle will carry you home very nicely, I am sure."


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