Meaning
A playful or competitive activity.
Etymology
Origin: Old English
Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *gamaną Proto-West Germanic *gaman Old English gamen Middle English game English game From Middle English game, gamen, gammen, from Old English gamen (“sport, joy, mirth, pastime, game, amusement, pleasure”), from Proto-West Germanic *gaman, from Proto-Germanic *gamaną (“amusement, pleasure, game", literally "participation, communion, people together”), from *ga- (collective prefix) + *mann- (“man”); or alternatively from *ga- + a root from Proto-Indo-European *men- (“to think, have in mind”). Cognate with Yola gaame, gaaume, gaume (“game”), Old Frisian game, gome (“joy, amusement, entertainment”), Dutch gemelijk (“cantankerous, crabbed”), Middle High German gamen (“joy, amusement, fun, pleasure”), Danish gammen (“merriment”), Icelandic, Norwegian Nynorsk gaman (“joy, fun”), Swedish gamman (“mirth, rejoicing, merriment”). Related to gammon, gamble.
Synonyms & Antonyms
NYT Puzzle Appearances
Accepted in 14 recorded puzzles:
- 2026-02-14MABEGIN
- 2026-02-06EAMGCIN
- 2026-01-22GATMENU
- 2025-12-20GNAMEDL
- 2025-08-30AENIGMZ
- 2025-08-10GAOMENT
- 2025-04-24MATEBGY
- 2025-03-09MANGELT
- 2024-10-07MAKECGO
- 2024-07-21GABEIMT
- 2024-04-12GANEDMU
- 2024-01-13AXEPLGM
+2 earlier appearances in the archive.