“games” is a form of
game
UK [ɡɛi̯m] · US [ɡeɪ̯m] noun, adjective, verb
Forms games gamer gamest gaming gamed
- noun A playful activity that may be unstructured; an amusement or pastime. “Being a child is all fun and games.”
- noun (countable) An activity described by a set of rules, especially for the purpose of entertainment, often competitive or having an explicit goal. “Games in the classroom can make learning fun.”
- noun (UK, in the plural) A school subject during which sports are practised.
- noun (countable) A particular instance of playing a game. “Sally won the game.”
- noun (tennis) Part of a set during which one player continuously serves (at least four rallies must be won to win a game, at least six games must be won to win the set). “Game, set and match!”
- noun That which is gained, such as the stake in a game.
- noun The number of points necessary to win a game. “In short whist, five points are game, while in in table tennis game is 21 points.”
- noun (card games) In some games, a point awarded to the player whose cards add up to the largest sum.
- adjective (colloquial) Willing and able to participate.
- adjective (of an animal) That shows a tendency to continue to fight against another animal, despite being wounded, often severely.
- adjective Persistent, especially in senses similar to the above.
- verb (intransitive) To gamble.
- verb (intransitive) To play card games, board games, or video games.
- verb (transitive) To exploit loopholes in a system or bureaucracy in a way which defeats or nullifies the spirit of the rules in effect, usually to obtain a result which otherwise would be unobtainable. “We'll bury them in paperwork, and game the system.”
- verb (transitive, seduction community, slang, of males) To perform premeditated seduction strategy.
- adjective (of a limb) Injured, lame.
Synonyms
amusement diversion entertainment festivity frolic fun gaiety gambol lark merriment merrymaking pastime play prank recreation sport spree match line wargame plot secret plan biz bet on back gage stake punt crippled halt
Antonyms
Etymology
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.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Crooked; lame; as, a game leg. [Colloq.]
- noun Sport of any kind; jest, frolic.
- noun A contest, physical or mental, according to certain rules, for amusement, recreation, or for winning a stake; as, a game of chance; games of skill; field games, etc. But war's a game, which, were their subject wise, Kings would not play at. Cowper.
- adjective Having a resolute, unyielding spirit, like the gamecock; ready to fight to the last; plucky.
Etymology [Cf. W. cam crooked, and E. gambol, n.]
Etymology [OE. game, gamen, AS. gamen, gomen, play, sport; akin to OS., OHG., & Icel. gaman, Dan. gammen mirth, merriment, OSw. gamman joy. Cf. Gammon a game, Backgammon, Gamble v. i.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “game”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details