SWEEPSTAKES


Meaning of SWEEPSTAKES in English

transcription, транскрипция: [ -ˌstāks ]

noun plural but singular or plural in construction

( also sweep-stake -ˌstāk)

Etymology: Middle English swepestake one who wins all the stakes in a game, from swepen to sweep + stake

Date: 1774

1.

a. : a race or contest in which the entire prize may be awarded to the winner ; specifically : stakes race

b. : contest , competition

2. : any of various lotteries

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.