English▸ noun
1 an activity that one engages in for amusement or fun:
the kids were playing a game with their balloons.
▪ a form of competitive activity or sport played according to rules:
the game of cricket.
▪ (games) a meeting for sporting contests:
the Olympic Games.
▪ (games) British English athletics or sports as a lesson or activity at school:
in order to be popular, you had to be good at games.
▪ the equipment for a game, especially a board game or a video game:
buy your games and software from us.
▪ a person's performance in a game; a person's standard of play:
Rooks attempted to raise his game to another level.
2 a complete episode or period of play, ending in a final result:
a baseball game.
▪ a single portion of play forming a scoring unit in a match, especially in tennis:
then came another ace to set up game, set, and match.
▪ Bridge a score of 100 points for tricks bid and made (the best of three games constituting a rubber).
3 informal a type of activity or business regarded as a game:
he was in the restaurant game for the glamour
this was a game of shuttle diplomacy at which I had become adept.
▪ a secret and clever plan or trick:
I was on to his little game.
4 [mass noun] wild mammals or birds hunted for sport or food:
they hunted game in Alaska.
▪ the flesh of wild mammals or birds, used as food:
[as modifier] a game pie.
▸ verb
1 [with object] manipulate (a situation), typically in a way that is unfair or unscrupulous:
it was very easy for a few big companies to game the system
politicians blamed electricity generators for gaming the market.
– PHRASES
ahead of the game ahead of one's competitors or peers in the same sphere of activity:
this investment is needed if we are to stay ahead of the game.
back in the game
once again active or able to succeed in something:
once again active or able to succeed in something:
one of the biggest R & B groups from the last decade is back in the game.
beat someone at their own game
use someone's own methods to outdo them in their chosen activity:
use someone's own methods to outdo them in their chosen activity:
we can compete against our trading rivals and beat them at their own game.
behind the game
lagging behind one's competitors or peers in the same sphere of activity:
lagging behind one's competitors or peers in the same sphere of activity:
the company has been behind the game in three key areas.
the game is up
the deception or crime is revealed or foiled:
the deception or crime is revealed or foiled:
when the police found the body in his garden the game was up.
game on
a signal for play to begin in a game or match.
a signal for play to begin in a game or match.
▪ British English informal
said when one feels that a situation is about to develop in one's favour:
said when one feels that a situation is about to develop in one's favour:
She soon invited me back to her place. Game on!.
game over informal
said when a situation is regarded as hopeless or irreversible:
said when a situation is regarded as hopeless or irreversible:
once your customer loyalty vanishes it's game over.
[probably from the use of the phrase at the conclusion of a computer game]
game, set, and match
used to indicate a decisive victory:
used to indicate a decisive victory:
the trade unions have won—game, set, and match to the workers.
[said at the end of a tennis match, indicating that a player has won a game that also wins them the set and the match]
the Great Game
1 the rivalry between Britain and Russia in central Asia during the 19th century.
[first used by Rudyard Kipling in Kim (1901)]
have game US English informal
have impressive skill or technique, especially in playing sport or attracting sexual partners:
have impressive skill or technique, especially in playing sport or attracting sexual partners:
he proved he's got game in those three contests by averaging 19.7 points
Anissa's got game and her picking Grace up was smooth.
make a game of it
make a contest more closely competitive:
make a contest more closely competitive:
Everton made a game of it, at one point leading 2–1.
on the game British English informal
working as a prostitute:
working as a prostitute:
she had been on the game for three years.
the only game in town informal
the only thing worth concerning oneself with:
the only thing worth concerning oneself with:
stocks used to be the only game in town for investors chasing robust returns.
out of the game
no longer active or able to succeed in something:
no longer active or able to succeed in something:
the politician's been out of the game for five years.
play someone's game
advance another's plans, whether intentionally or not:
advance another's plans, whether intentionally or not:
to what extent are they playing the government's game?.
play games
deal with someone or something in a way that lacks due seriousness or respect:
deal with someone or something in a way that lacks due seriousness or respect:
she was grief-stricken and you played games with her.
still in the game
still active or able to succeed in something:
still active or able to succeed in something:
his latest album suggests that he's still in the game.
– ORIGIN Old English gamen ‘amusement, fun’, gamenian ‘play, amuse oneself’, of Germanic origin.