Etymology
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quinella (n.)

form of betting in which the bettor picks the first and second horses in a given race, 1942, American English, from American Spanish quiniela, originally a ball game with five players, from Latin quini "five each," from quinque "five" (from PIE root *penkwe- "five"). The sense evolution in Spanish was said to be from the game to a wager on the scores of the players, hence "any wager against the house."

Entries linking to quinella

*penkwe- 

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "five."

It forms all or part of: cinquain; cinque; cinquecento; cinquefoil; fifteen; fifth; fifty; fin (n.) "five-dollar bill;" finger; fist; five; foist; keno; parcheesi; penta-; pentacle; pentad; Pentateuch; Pentecost; pentagon; pentagram; pentameter; pentathlon; Pentothal; Pompeii; Punjab; punch (n.2) "type of mixed drink;" quinary; quincunx; quinella; quinque-; quinquennial; quint; quintain; quintet; quintile; quintessence; quintillion; quintuple.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit panca, Greek pente, Latin quinque, Old Church Slavonic pęti, Lithuanian penki, Old Welsh pimp, Old English fif, Dutch vijf, Old High German funf.

perfecta (n.)

method of betting in which the bettor must pick the first- and second-place finishers in correct order, 1971, from American Spanish perfecta, shortened from quiniela perfecta "perfect quiniela," a bet in horseracing (see quinella); for perfecta, see perfect (adj.).

updated on April 27, 2017

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Dictionary entries near quinella

quin

quinary

quince

quincentenary

quincunx

quinella

quinine

quinoa

quinquangular

quinque-

quinquennial

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