lotto

noun

lot·​to ˈlä-(ˌ)tō How to pronounce lotto (audio)
: a game of chance resembling bingo

Examples of lotto in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For decades, my mother carried around a stack of my grandparents’ lotto bingo cards. — Laura Brown, Artforum, 25 Mar. 2026 This 2026 class is loaded with potential, and everything around it comes into focus once the lotto is drawn. — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 10 May 2026 But that doesn’t mean the Terry Rozier fiasco can’t have the NBA rig the lotto hopper. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 1 May 2026 Compared to heading up to Black Hawk or buying a lotto ticket, the odds of winning were much higher, with no money out of pocket required to enter. — Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lotto

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French & Italian; French loto, borrowed from Italian lotto "lottery, game of chance based on guessing numbers drawn from an urn" (originally lotto di Genova "Genoa lottery"), borrowed from Middle French lot "lot, portion, share" — more at allot

First Known Use

1778, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lotto was in 1778

Rhymes for lotto

See All Rhymes for lotto

Browse Nearby Words

lottery wheel
lotto
Lotuko
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lotto.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lotto. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on lotto

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lotto

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