See also: Raffle

English

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈɹæfl̩/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -æfəl

Etymology 1

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From Middle English rafle, from Old French rafle, raffle (dice game", also "plundering), from rafler (to snatch, seize, carry off), from Frankish *raffolōn, from Proto-Germanic *hrapōną, *hrēpōną (to scratch, touch, pluck out, snatch), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kreb(h)-, *(s)kerb(h)- (to turn, bend, shrink), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (to turn, bend). Cognate with Middle Dutch raffel (dice game), German raffen (to snatch away, sweep off), Old English hreppan (to touch, treat, attack).

Noun

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raffle (plural raffles)

  1. A drawing, often held as a fundraiser, in which tickets or chances are sold to win a prize.
    He entered a raffle to win a lifetime supply of toothpaste, but he did not win.
  2. (obsolete) A game of dice in which the player who throws three of the same number wins all the stakes.
Derived terms
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Translations
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Verb

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raffle (third-person singular simple present raffles, present participle raffling, simple past and past participle raffled)

  1. (transitive, often with off) To award something by means of a raffle or random drawing.
    They raffled off four gift baskets.
  2. (intransitive) To participate in a raffle.
    to raffle for a watch
Translations
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Etymology 2

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See raff.

Noun

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raffle (uncountable)

  1. refuse; rubbish

Anagrams

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