betting round
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Laying fairly and equally against nearly all the horses in a race so that no great risk can be run. Commonly called getting round. See BOOK, and BOOKMAKING.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “betting round” mean?
Laying fairly and equally against nearly all the horses in a race so that no great risk can be run. Commonly called getting round. See BOOK, and BOOKMAKING.
Is “betting round” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.