roulette

¹rou·lette

noun \rü-ˈlet\

Definition of ROULETTE

1

a : a gambling game in which players bet on which compartment of a revolving wheel a small ball will come to rest in

b : something involving a high degree of chance and unpredictability

2

a : any of various toothed wheels or disks (as for producing rows of dots on engraved plates or for making short consecutive incisions in paper to facilitate subsequent division)

b : tiny slits between rows of stamps in a sheet that are made by a roulette and serve as an aid in separation — compare perforation

Origin of ROULETTE

French, literally, small wheel, from Old French roelete, diminutive of roele wheel, rowel, from Late Latin rotella, diminutive of Latin rota wheel — more at roll

First Known Use: 1745

Rhymes with ROULETTE

abet, aigrette, all wet, backset, baguette, banquette, barbette, barquette, barrette, beget, beset, blanquette, boneset, brevet, briquette, brochette, brunet, burette, burnet, cadet, cassette, cermet, Colette, coquet, coquette, cornet, corselet, corvette, coset, courgette, croquette, curette, curvet, cuvette, dinette, dip net, diskette, dragnet, duet, egret, fan-jet, fishnet, fly net, forget, gazette, georgette, Gillette, gillnet, gill net, godet, grisette, handset, hard-set, headset, ink-jet, inlet, inset, jet set, Juliet, kismet, layette, life net, lorgnette, lunette, maquette, Marquette, mind-set, mist net, moonset, moquette, motet, musette, nerve net, noisette, nonet, nymphet, octet, offset, onset, outlet, outset, paillette, pallette, palmette, pipette, piquet, planchette, pound net, poussette, preset, quartet, quickset, quintet, raclette, ramet, ramjet, regret, reset, revet, rocket, roomette, rosette, saw set, septet, sestet, sextet, sharp-set, soubrette, spinet, stage set, stylet, sublet, subset, sunset, syrette, tea set, thickset, Tibet, toilette, tonette, trijet, twinset, typeset, Undset, unset, upset, vedette, vignette, well-set

²roulette

transitive verb

rou·lett·edrou·lett·ing

Definition of ROULETTE

: to make roulettes in

First Known Use of ROULETTE

1867

roulette

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Gambling game. After a small ball is released in the opposite direction of a revolving wheel, players make bets concerning which red or black numbered compartment the ball will enter as it comes to rest. Bets are placed on a table marked to correspond with the compartments of the wheel. Roulette (French: “small wheel”) emerged in the late 18th century in the casinos of Europe. All bets are placed against the “house,” or casino bank. Bets may be made until the ball slows down and is about to drop from its track into a compartment. Bets may be on a single number or various combinations of numbers that pay off at lesser odds if the winner is among them. Betting that red or black or that an odd or even number will come up are other options.