Lotto
nounA game of chance in which numbers are drawn at random and players win prizes for matching them.
How to spell lotto
5 letters · 2 syllables
How to pronounce lotto
Say the part in capitals loudest.
What does lotto mean?
- nounA game of chance in which numbers are drawn at random and players win prizes for matching them.
Lotto in a sentence
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She buys a lotto ticket every Friday on her way home.
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The office syndicate split the lotto winnings four ways.
Where does lotto come from?
Language of origin: Italian
This word comes directly from the Italian lotto, the name of a popular game of chance in which numbers are drawn for prizes. The Italian noun ultimately traces back to a Germanic root meaning a 'lot', 'portion', or 'share', the same notion of something decided by drawing lots that gives English the word 'lottery'. Italian borrowed and reshaped this Frankish or Germanic element, and the gambling game spread across Europe from Genoa in the 1500s. English picked up lotto in the 1770s, keeping the Italian spelling complete with its doubled t and final o. Because the word is borrowed whole from Italian, the spelling stays simple and phonetic, with no silent letters to trip up the writer.
How the word is built
- lotto (Italian noun for a lottery game, from a Germanic root meaning 'lot' or 'share')
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