game

game¹

noun

1》 an activity engaged in for amusement.

    ↘the equipment used in playing a board game, computer game, etc.

2》 a form of competitive activity or sport played according to rules.

    ↘(games) a meeting for sporting contests.

    ↘(games) Brit. athletics or sports as a lesson or activity at school.

3》 a complete episode or period of play, ending in a final result.

    ↘a single portion of play, forming a scoring unit within a game.

4》 informal a type of activity or business regarded as a game: the dating game.

    ↘a secret plan or trick: I was on to his little game.

5》 wild mammals or birds hunted for sport or food.

    ↘the flesh of these, as food.

adjective eager and willing to do something new or challenging: they were game for anything.

verb

1》 [as noun gaming] playing at games of chance for money.

2》 play video or computer games.

Phrases

ahead of the game ahead of one's competitors or peers.

beat someone at their own game use someone's own methods to outdo them.

the game is up the deception or crime is revealed or foiled.

game over informal said when a situation is regarded as hopeless.

on the game Brit. informal working as a prostitute.

play the game behave in a fair or honourable way.

Derivatives

gamely adverb

gameness noun

gamester noun

Origin

OE gamen 'amusement, fun', gamenian 'play, amuse oneself', of Gmc origin.

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game²

adjective dated (of a person's leg) lame.

Origin

C18: orig. dialect, of unknown origin.