Definition of parlay
transitive verb
1 : to bet in a parlay
2a : to exploit successfully He hoped to parlay his basketball skills into a college scholarship.b : to increase or otherwise transform into something of much greater value She parlayed $5,000 and years of hard work into a multimillion-dollar company.
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parlay was our Word of the Day on 07/17/2016. Hear the podcast!
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Did You Know?
If you're the gambling type, you may already know that parlay can also be used as a noun describing a series of bets in which a person places a bet, then puts the original stake of money and all of its winnings on new wagers. But you might not know that parlay represents a modified spelling of the French name for such bets: paroli. You might also be unaware that the original French word is still occasionally used in English with the same meaning as the noun parlay. Be careful not to mix up parlay with the similar word parley, meaning "to discuss terms with an enemy." Although the spellings are very close, parley comes from the Latin word for "speech."
Origin and Etymology of parlay
French paroli, noun, parlay, from Italian dialect, plural of parolo, perhaps from paro equal, from Latin par
parlay
Definition of parlay
: a series of two or more bets so set up in advance that the original stake plus its winnings are risked on the successive wagers; broadly : the fresh risking of an original stake together with its winnings
Origin and Etymology of parlay
see 1parlay
PARLAY Defined for English Language Learners
parlay
playDefinition of parlay for English Language Learners
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: to use or develop (something) to get something else that has greater value
Learn More about parlay
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See words that rhyme with parlay Britannica English: Translation of parlay for Arabic speakers
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