bingo

noun

1. 1

   A game of chance for two or more players, who mark off numbers on a grid as they are announced by the caller; the game is won by the first person to call out "bingo!" or "house!" after crossing off all numbers on the grid or in one line of the grid.

   He plays bingo with his family on Saturdays.

2. 2

   A similar game or amusement in which participants tick off themed words, phrases or pictures as these are called out, or as they are mentioned, for example during a speech or performance

   animal bingo (animal pictures), ABBA bingo (titles or lyrics of ABBA songs), buzzword bingo

3. 3

   A win in such a game.

   There were two bingos in the last game, so the players split the prize money.

4. 4

   A play where all seven of a player's letter tiles are played, awarding a score bonus.

5. 5

   Great, sudden, typically hard-to-predict success; the jackpot.

   An explosion of gay male movies has hit the U.S. in the past few months. Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Parting Glances and My Beautiful Laundrette, among others, have not only demonstrateed that the coming out story can be surpassed, they've also shown the movie industry that substantive gay portrayals can mean box office bingo.

interjection

1. 1

   Used by players of bingo to claim a win.

2. 2

   informalUsed when finding what one has been looking for or trying to recall, or on successful completion of a task.

   ‘Some big, hard-boiled egg meets up with a pretty face, and bingo! He cracks up and melts.’

   Just have to pick the bfast, lunch and dinner I feel most like eating today and – bingo!

   Megamind: Boingo! Minion: I think you mean "bingo", sir. Megamind: That's what I said. Boingo!

3. 3

   informalUsed to enthusiastically confirm or validate another speaker's point.

adjective

1. 1

   slangJust sufficient to return to base (or, alternatively, to divert to an alternative airfield). (also written Bingo or BINGO)

   Well, the old pucker factor went up about 75 notches at that point cause that length of time would put my wingman below Bingo fuel, plus the thought of sitting in an orbit several miles West of the Yen Bai […]

   The first pilot to get down to this bingo fuel state would call, “Banjo 4, bingo fuel,” or whatever.

verb

1. 1

   To play the game of bingo.

2. 2

   To give the winning cry of "bingo!" in a game.

3. 3

   To play all of one's seven tiles in one move in the game of Scrabble, earning a score bonus.

   With IN on the board, he bingoed with OPERATING for 74 points, while Ann added the CO in front of it for 30 points.

4. 4

   slangTo return to base.

noun

1. 1

   obsoleteBrandy.

Forms

plural

bingos

past tense

bingoed

past participle

bingoed

present participle

bingoing

third person singular

bingos