PARLAY • FREE TRANSLATOR.ORG • Definition of Parlay

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verb

parlay v. t.

To wager the winnings plus the initial stake of one bet on a subsequent wager, or to engage in a series of such increased wagers. Note: This is the characteristic act in a common betting system used by gamblers to try to achieve a large win from a small initial stake. Statistically, it is similar to betting a small stake on a game with a large payoff and a proportionately small chance of winning.

To exploit success in one endeavor so as to achieve greater success in subsequent endeavors.

Fig., to transform a gain into something of greater value.

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Etymology of 'Parlay'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Parlay" Quotes from Famous Books

... as the firing began, the commander and his men began to make their way toward the Greatest Noble. They had been forced to stand a good five yards away during the parlay, cut off from direct contact by the Imperial guards. The commander, sword in hand, began cutting his ...

— Despoilers of the Golden Empire • Gordon Randall Garrett

... expect a foreign young woman of your sense to do. So I'll give you a piece of advice, and it's this, don't you talk too much. You're not expected to say anything here, and you can't keep too quiet a tongue in your head. In short, the less you PARLAY, the better, you know." Mr. Bucket is very complacent over this ...

— Bleak House • Charles Dickens

Words linked to "Parlay" : wager, bet, double up, punt