Word
raffle
Phoneticsraf·fle, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈɹæfəɫ/
UK/ɹˈæfəl/
Countable noun
In Japanese
lottery; raffle; drawing (of lots)
Japanese from JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0. All sources.
Definition
n. a game where people buy numbered tickets for a chance to win a prize. A winner is chosen by picking a ticket at random from a container.
n. a competition in which participants purchase numbered tickets, with one or more being drawn at random to determine the winner of a prize.
Examples
“I bought three tickets for the school raffle.”
“The local charity organized a raffle to raise money for the new community center playground.”
“While the grand prize was a luxury cruise, most participants entered the raffle simply to support the foundation's ongoing efforts to provide clean water to rural villages.”
Examples
simple
“I bought three tickets for the school raffle.”
contextual
“The local charity organized a raffle to raise money for the new community center playground.”
complex
“While the grand prize was a luxury cruise, most participants entered the raffle simply to support the foundation's ongoing efforts to provide clean water to rural villages.”
Usage
Often used with the verbs 'hold', 'organize', or 'enter'.
Etymology
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 hrapōną, hrēpōną (“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”).
See raff.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784EikenEikenTest in Practical English ProficiencyThe English proficiency test from the Eiken Foundation of Japan, widely taken by Japanese students. Grades run from 5 to 1, with Pre-1 and Pre-2 between them.Grade 2
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/raffle