sweepstake

Variant of sweepstakes

sweepstakes definition

sweep·stakes (swēp′stāks′)

noun pl. sweepstakes -·stakes′

  1. a lottery in which each participant puts up money in a common fund which is given as the prize to the winner or in shares to several winners
    1. a contest, esp. a horse race, the result of which determines the winner or winners of such a lottery
    2. the prize or prizes won in such a lottery
  3. any of various other lotteries

Etymology: because the winner “sweeps in” all of the stakes

Also sweepstake sweep′·stake′ (-stāk′) or sweeps

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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