gambit

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: gam=bit

CIDE DICTIONARY

gambit, n. [F. gambit, cf. It. gambitto gambit, a tripping up. See Gambol, n.].

 A mode of opening the game, in which a pawn is sacrificed to gain an attacking position.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

gambit, n.
1 a chess opening in which a player sacrifices a piece or pawn to secure an advantage.
2 an opening move in a discussion etc.
3 a trick or device.

Etymology

earlier gambett f. It. gambetto tripping up f. gamba leg

THESAURUS

gambit

alpha, approach, art, artful dodge, artifice, assay, attempt, bag of tricks, bid, blind, bluff, bosey, breaking-in, catch, chicanery, chouse, conspiracy, contrivance, coup, crack, craft, curve, curve-ball, cute trick, deceit, design, device, dirty deal, dirty trick, dodge, effort, endeavor, essay, expedient, experiment, fakement, fast deal, feint, fetch, ficelle, first, first blush, first glance, first impression, first inning, first lap, first move, first round, first sight, first stage, first step, fling, game, gimmick, go, googly, grift, hocus-pocus, initial, initiative, intrigue, jig, joker, juggle, jugglery, knavery, le premier pas, lick, little game, maneuver, move, offer, opening move, pass, plan, play, plot, ploy, prime, primitiveness, primitivity, racket, red herring, ruse, scheme, scurvy trick, shift, shot, sleight, sleight of hand, sleight-of-hand trick, stab, step, stratagem, strategy, stroke, strong bid, subterfuge, tactic, tentative, trial, trial and error, trick, trickery, try, undertaking, warming-up, whack, whizzer, wile, wily device