gambit

Etymology

From French, from Spanish gambito, from Italian gambetto (“gambit, trip”), from gamba (“leg”), from Latin gamba (“calf”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɡæmbɪt/

Noun

gambit (plural gambits)

1. An opening in chess, in which a minor piece or a pawn is sacrificed to gain an advantage.

   Her clever opening gambit gave her an advantage.

2. Any ploy or stratagem.

   Their promise to lower taxes is clearly an election-year gambit.

3. A remark intended to open a conversation.