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Glite Dictionary
pari-mutuel machine

pari-mutuel machine

9.2
A machine at a race or betting place that records bets and shares the total money among the winners
  • noun
  • /ˌpɑːriˈmjuːtʃuːl məˈʃiːn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : máquina de apuestas
  • The pari-mutuel machine calculates how much each winner will receive based on the total amount wagered by all participants.

Examples

  • The pari-mutuel machine instantly calculates the payouts based on total bets.

  • All bets must be placed through the pari-mutuel machine before the race begins.

  • Advances in technology have made the pari-mutuel machine faster and more reliable.

  • The pari-mutuel machine was busy during the race.

  • Many pari-mutuel machines are located at the racetrack.

  • Bettors can place their wagers through the pari-mutuel machine to ensure their bets are recorded accurately.

  • At the racetrack, the pari-mutuel machine operates continuously, managing bets until the race starts.

Synonyms

totalizator
vspari-mutuel machine
  • Specialized
9.9

A machine or computer that records bets and divides the money among winners

is the specific computer version rather than any machine or system
totalizer
vspari-mutuel machine
  • Archaic
9.5

A machine at a racetrack that records bets and divides the money among winners

is the standard betting computer that records bets and shares total wagers with winners

Surface Forms

pari-mutuel machine singular
pari-mutuel machines plural
parimutuel machines plural
parimutuel machine singular

Morphology

pari-mutuel + machine

The compound is a straightforward type-of construction: 'machine' denotes a device and 'pari-mutuel' specifies the betting system, so a learner who knows both constituents can directly infer it is a machine used for pari-mutuel betting. Note that 'pari-mutuel' is a technical, borrowed term that may be unfamiliar to many B1 learners, but that unfamiliarity concerns lexical frequency, not the compositionality of the compound.

Etymology

The noun pari-mutuel machine comes from a betting system where all bets go into one pool and are shared, and 'pari-mutuel' means 'betting together' while the machine records the bets. So the name fits the device that collects all the bets and divides the total money among the winners.