n.
Pronunciation: ' gam-b ə t
Function: noun
Etymology: Italian gambetto, literally, act of tripping someone, from gamba leg, from Late Latin gamba, camba, from Greek kamp ē bend; probably akin to Gothic hamfs maimed, Lithuanian kampas corner
Date: 1656
1 : a chess opening in which a player risks one or more pawns or a minor piece to gain an advantage in position
2 a (1) : a remark intended to start a conversation or make a telling point (2) : TOPIC b : a calculated move : STRATAGEM