sweepstakes

[ sweep-steyks ]
/ ˈswipˌsteɪks /

noun (used with a singular or plural verb)

a race or other contest for which the prize consists of the stakes contributed by the various competitors.
the prize itself.
a lottery in which winning tickets are selected at random, each winning-ticket number then being matched to one of the horses nominated for or entered in a specific race, and the amounts paid the winners being determined by the finishing order of the horses that run.
any gambling transaction in which each of a number of persons contributes a stake, and the stakes are awarded to one or several winners.
a risky venture that promises large rewards: the high-tech sweepstakes.

Origin of sweepstakes

1485–95; earlier swepestake orig., a person who won all the stakes in a game; see sweep1, stake2, -s3

Definition for sweepstakes (2 of 2)

sweepstake
[ sweep-steyk ]
/ ˈswipˌsteɪk /

noun

a sweepstakes.

Example sentences from the Web for sweepstakes

British Dictionary definitions for sweepstakes

sweepstake

esp US sweepstakes

/ (ˈswiːpˌsteɪk) /

noun

  1. a lottery in which the stakes of the participants constitute the prize
  2. the prize itself
any event involving a lottery, esp a horse race in which the prize is the competitors' stakes
Often shortened to: sweep

Word Origin for sweepstake

C15: originally referring to someone who sweeps or takes all the stakes in a game