Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A game with dice.
  • noun A method of sale by chance or lottery, in which the price of the thing to be disposed of is divided into equal shares, and the persons taking the shares east lots for its possession by throwing dice or otherwise.
  • To try the chance of a raffle; engage in a raffle: as, to raffle for a watch.
  • To dispose of by means of a raffle: often with off: as, to raffle or raffle off a watch.
  • To move or fidget about.
  • To live in a disorderly way.
  • To stir (a fire).
  • To brush off (walnuts).
  • noun Nautical, raff; lumber; rubbish.
  • noun Same as raffle-net.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A kind of lottery, in which several persons pay, in shares, the value of something put up as a stake, and then determine by chance (as by casting dice) which one of them shall become the sole possessor.
  • noun obsolete A game of dice in which he who threw three alike won all the stakes.
  • noun Refuse; rubbish; raff.
  • transitive verb To dispose of by means of a raffle; -- often followed by off.
  • intransitive verb To engage in a raffle.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A drawing, often held as a fundraiser, in which tickets or chances are sold to win a prize.
  • verb To award something by means of a raffle or random drawing, often used with off.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a lottery in which the prizes are goods rather than money
  • verb dispose of in a lottery

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English rafle, from Old French rafle, raffle ("dice game", also "plundering"), from rafler ("to snatch, seize, carry off"), from Frankish *raffolōn, from Proto-Germanic *hrapōnan, *hrēpōnan (“to scratch, touch, pluck out, snatch”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kreb(h)-, *(s)kerb(h)- (“to turn, bend, shrink”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to turn, bend”). Cognate with Middle Dutch raffel ("dice game"), German raffen ("to snatch away, sweep off"), Old English hreppan ("to touch, treat, attack").

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Examples

  • Diary Entry by michaelslevinson (about the author) yahooBuzzArticleHeadline = 'The National Car-Lotto'; yahooBuzzArticleSummary = 'The National Car-Lotto applies the concept behind a church sponsored raffle to the whole auto industry, nationwide, with car \'raffle\' tickets for the car of your choice offered where ever Lotto tickets are sold.

    OpEdNews - Diary: The National Car-Lotto 2009

  • For now ... know that a raffle is coming. $1 for 1 ticket, $10 for 11 tickets, $20 for 25, prizes ranging from custom writing to lunch dates to baked goods to Jayne hats to jewelry to tuckerizations and so much more ... and if you have anything you want to add to the raffle, please please do.

    Elayna, Explo, and fundraising s00j 2009

  • To be on the safe side, I'd avoid using the word raffle, too.

    Welcome and a Fundraising Question pmrabble 2010

  • Menu for Hope (which has collected over $13,500 USD in raffle tickets and has been extended until Saturday, December 24th) and chew on this Flickr feast.

    On holiday, gone fishing, etc, etc... 2005

  • Menu for Hope (which has collected over $13,500 USD in raffle tickets and has been extended until Saturday, December 24th) and chew on this Flickr feast.

    Seattle Bon Vivant: 2005

  • Menu for Hope (which has collected over $13,500 USD in raffle tickets and has been extended until Saturday, December 24th) and chew on this Flickr feast.

    On holiday, gone fishing, etc, etc... 2005

  • The executive council for Yuri's Night, The World Space Party, is pleased to announce the launch of a new fund-raising campaign at SpaceRaffle. net, the world's first long term raffle campaign supporting a space cause.

    collectSPACE Today In Space History 2009

  • The executive council for Yuri's Night, The World Space Party, is pleased to announce the launch of a new fund-raising campaign at SpaceRaffle. net, the world's first long term raffle campaign supporting a space cause.

    collectSPACE Today In Space History 2009

  • The executive council for Yuri's Night, The World Space Party, is pleased to announce the launch of a new fund-raising campaign at SpaceRaffle. net, the world's first long term raffle campaign supporting a space cause.

    collectSPACE Today In Space History 2009

  • There proved to be two biscuits apiece, with a small surplus, and for this last the crew held a "raffle" -- each time a single biscuit forming the prize.

    Ran Away to Sea Mayne Reid 1850

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