pokies
9.9
Machines like slot machines that people play in pubs or casinos to try to win money
- noun
- Australian
:
tragaperras
- After dinner, my friends and I went to try our luck at the pokies.
Examples
-
We spent the evening playing pokies at the local pub.
-
She often enjoys playing pokies when visiting the casino.
-
Yeah, all right, let's get our pokies ready and sink them.
Synonyms
59
3.4
A machine in a casino that pays money when you win
is the casual Australian name used in clubs and pubs instead
25
3.3
A machine in a casino where you put coins and spin pictures to try to win money
is the informal Australian word for that same gambling machine
Surface Forms
Morphology
pokies = pokie (semi-transparent) = pokie + s
The plural -s is a regular, fully transparent pluralization of the singular 'pokie'.
Etymology
The word pokies comes from the phrase poker machine, the usual Australian name for 'slot machines'. People simply shortened 'poker machine' to pokies, which is why it now means the gambling machines you see in pubs, clubs, and casinos.