Word: game Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *gamaną Proto-West Germanic *gaman Old English gamen Middle English game English game From Middle English game, gamen, gammen, from Old English gamen (“sport, joy, mirth, pastime, game, amusement, pleasure”), from Proto-West Germanic *gaman, from Proto-Germanic *gamaną (“amusement, pleasure, game", literally "participation, communion, people together”), from *ga- (collective prefix) + *mann- (“man”); or alternatively from *ga- + a root from Proto-Indo-European *men- (“to think, have in mind”). Cognate with Yola gaame, gaaume, gaume (“game”), Old Frisian game, gome (“joy, amusement, entertainment”), Dutch gemelijk (“cantankerous, crabbed”), Middle High German gamen (“joy, amusement, fun, pleasure”), Danish gammen (“merriment”), Icelandic, Norwegian Nynorsk gaman (“joy, fun”), Swedish gamman (“mirth, rejoicing, merriment”). Related to gammon, gamble. Pronunciation: /ɡeɪm/, [ɡeɪ̯m], [ɡɛi̯m], /ɡæɪm/, [ɡæ̝ɪ̯m] 1. A playful or competitive activity. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Being a child is all fun and games. 2. A playful or competitive activity. Labels: countable Example: Games in the classroom can make learning fun. Example: Joshua: Shall we play a game? David: ... Love to. How about Global Thermonuclear War? Joshua: Wouldn't you prefer a good game of chess? David: Later. Let's play Global Thermonuclear War. Joshua: Fine. 3. A playful or competitive activity. Labels: UK, countable, in-plural, uncountable Example: From time to time tracksuited boys ran past them, with all the deadly purpose and humourless concentration of those who enjoyed Games. 4. A playful or competitive activity. Labels: countable Example: Sally won the game. Example: They can turn the game around in the second half. 5. A playful or competitive activity. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Game, set and match! 6. A playful or competitive activity. Labels: countable, uncountable 7. A playful or competitive activity. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: In short whist, five points are game, while in in table tennis game is 21 points. Example: See also: for the win 8. A playful or competitive activity. Labels: countable, uncountable 9. A playful or competitive activity. Labels: countable Example: Some of the games in the closet we have on the computer as well. 10. A playful or competitive activity. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Study can help your game of chess. Example: Hit the gym if you want to toughen up your game. 11. A playful or competitive activity. Labels: abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis Example: There’s a sense here, as well as in games such as Limbo, that we’re making ourselves experience our children’s reality, trapped in the chaos that the adults have created. 12. A field of gainful activity, as an industry or profession. Labels: countable, informal, singular, usually Example: When it comes to making sales, John is the best in the game. Example: He's in the securities game somehow. 13. A field of gainful activity, as an industry or profession. Labels: countable, informal, singular, uncountable, usually Example: The rapper bragged about how he ran the game. 14. Something that resembles a game with rules, despite not being designed. Labels: countable, figuratively Example: In the game of life, you may find yourself playing the waiting game far too often. Example: I ſee you ſtand like Grey-hounds in the ſlips, / Straying vpon the Start. The Game’s afoot: 15. An exercise simulating warfare, whether computerized or involving human participants. Labels: countable 16. A questionable or unethical practice in pursuit of a goal. Labels: countable Example: You want to borrow my credit card for a week? What's your game? Example: Your murderous game is nearly up. 17. Wild animals hunted for food. Labels: uncountable Example: The forest has plenty of game. Example: I had known the President several years before he became famous, and we had had some correspondence on subjects of natural history. His interest in such themes is always very fresh and keen, and the main motive of his visit to the Park at this time was to see and study in its semi-domesticated condition the great game which he had so often hunted during his ranch days; and he was kind enough to think it would be an additional pleasure to see it with a nature-lover like myself. 18. The ability to seduce or woo someone, usually by strategy. Labels: informal, uncountable Example: He didn't get anywhere with her because he had no game. Example: She's strange, so strange, but I didn't complain / She said yes to me when I ran my game 19. Lovemaking, flirtation. Labels: archaic, countable, uncountable 20. Prostitution. (Now chiefly in on the game.) Labels: countable, slang, uncountable Example: ſet them downe, / For ſlottiſh ſpoyles of opportunitie; / And daughters of the game. Example: [H]e put spurs to his horse, and just in the twilight reached the gate, where, at that time, there happened to be two ladies of the game [translating mugeres moças], who being on their journey to Seville, with the carriers, had chanced to take up their night's lodging in this place. 21. Mastery; the ability to excel at something. Labels: slang, uncountable Example: What is game? Who got game? / Where's the game in life, behind the game behind the game / I got game, she's got game / We got game, they got game, he got game Example: In the contemporary arts of the academic contact zone, I say African American students got game! 22. Diversion, entertainment. Labels: archaic, uncountable Example: To ſet the minde on the racke of long meditation (you ſay) is a torment: to follow the ſwift foote of your hound alday long, hath no wearineſſe: what would you ſay of him that finds better game in his ſtudie, then you in the fielde, and would account your diſport his puniſhment? ſuch there are, though you doubt and wonder.