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illustration Tombola

Tombola

[tom-BOH-la]

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Italian, 19th century

1.

A game in which people pick tickets out of a revolving drum and certain tickets win immediate prizes, typically played at a fete or fair.

Examples of Tombola in a sentence

"I hear Jonathan is running the tombola stall at the fair this year."

"The young child was an expert at tombola, always seeming to pick a ticket that won a prize."

About Tombola

This word will make you want to do a flip. "Tombola" comes from the Italian word "tombolare," which means "to turn a somersault." It's not just limited to a tombola; bingo callers have their own somersaulting cages.

Did you Know?

If you have participated in a charity raffle you might have played a tombola. Traditionally from Italy, tombola games have tickets that are attached to immediate prizes — provided you pick the right one, of course.

illustration Tombola

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