numbers pool
- noun
- Archaic
:
lotería ilegal
- He was arrested for his involvement in the illegal numbers pool last year.
Examples
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The police raided the building where the numbers pool was being operated.
-
Many people relied on winnings from the numbers pool to supplement their income during tough times.
-
He won big in the numbers pool last week.
-
Many people participate in the numbers pool every day.
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He was arrested for his involvement in the illegal numbers pool last year.
-
Many people relied on winnings from the numbers pool to supplement their income during tough times.
-
The police raided the building where the numbers pool was being operated.
Synonyms
199
2.3
A game where people buy numbered tickets and winners are chosen by chance
49
4.4
A game where players mark numbers on a card and hope to win money
1
9.0
An illegal lottery where people bet on numbers to win money
1
9.9
An illegal lottery where people secretly bet on numbers
An illegal daily game in cities where people bet money to guess the winning digits
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is a straightforward compositional combination: 'numbers' (the illegal lottery) + 'pool' (the total stake of bets) yields the pooled bets for the numbers game. A B1 learner who knows those constituent senses can readily infer this meaning, though learners who only know 'numbers' as digits might find it less obvious.
Etymology
Numbers pool may come from the image of people putting their money into one common pool to bet on a set of numbers that are drawn each day. In many cities this small, secret game paid winners from the money in the pool but was run outside the law. That's why numbers pool means 'an illegal lottery'.