roulette

1 of 2

noun

rou·​lette rü-ˈlet How to pronounce roulette (audio)
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

roulette

2 of 2

verb

rouletted; rouletting

transitive verb

: to make roulettes in

Examples of roulette in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Running back roulette The Chargers’ have one the clearest No. 1 running backs in the NFL in Austin Ekeler. Jeff Miller, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2023 Bettors can take on more than just the standard blackjack and roulette at this live dealer casino. Kevin Wolff, cleveland, 6 June 2023 In addition, guests can play casino games like black jack, roulette, and craps for gift cards and other Derby swag. Jeanne O'Brien Coffey, Forbes, 4 May 2023 Equipped with a fully functional, free-spinning roulette wheel, complete with 37 pockets (one green, 18 red, and 18 black), the watch is activated by a pusher that propels the wheelhead. Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 7 Aug. 2023 The Ducks survived this round of realignment roulette. Bill Oram, oregonlive, 5 Aug. 2023 Accessible inside the arena’s enormous glass atrium and via a street entrance for those not ticketed for an event, the Caesar’s Sportsbook in Cleveland looks like a Las Vegas casino floor, minus the blackjack and roulette tables. Tom Withers, Chicago Tribune, 1 Jan. 2023 The casino also has a high-limit area with slots, poker, roulette and more, which is accessible to everyone. Tiffany Acosta arizona Republic, The Arizona Republic, 28 June 2023 Enjoy professional casino-style gaming (roulette, craps, blackjack and poker), a silent auction and more. Laura Groch, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2023
Verb
In addition to giving the Seminoles control over sports betting, the compact allowed the tribe to offer craps and roulette at its casinos. Dara Kam, Orlando Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2022 The gambling deal, known as a compact, gave the Seminoles control over online sports betting throughout the state and allowed the tribe to add craps and roulette to its existing casino operations. Dara Kam, sun-sentinel.com, 21 Jan. 2022 The gambling deal gave the Seminoles control over online sports betting throughout the state and allowed the tribe to add craps and roulette to its existing casino operations. Dara Kam, sun-sentinel.com, 23 Dec. 2021 The tribe is ultimately expected to pay billions of dollars to the state because of sports betting and other benefits in the compact, such as being able to offer craps and roulette at tribal casinos. Dara Kam, sun-sentinel.com, 1 Nov. 2021 The deal also allows the Seminoles to offer craps and roulette at its casinos. Ira Winderman, sun-sentinel.com, 7 Aug. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'roulette.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

Noun

1744, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1867, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of roulette was in 1744

Dictionary Entries Near roulette

Cite this Entry

“Roulette.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roulette. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

roulette

noun
rou·​lette
rü-ˈlet
1
: a gambling game in which players bet on which compartment of a revolving wheel a small ball will come to rest in
2
: a wheel or disk with teeth around the outside
Etymology

Noun

from French roulette, literally, "small wheel"

More from Merriam-Webster on roulette

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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