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Bet vs Guess - What's the difference?

bet | guess |

As nouns the difference between bet and guess

is that bet is a wager, an agreement between two parties that a stake (usually money) will be paid by the loser to the winner (the winner being the one who correctly forecast the outcome of an event) while guess is a prediction about the outcome of something, typically made without factual evidence or support.

As verbs the difference between bet and guess

is that bet is to stake or pledge upon the outcome of an event; to wager while guess is to reach a partly (or totally) unqualified conclusion.

As an initialism BET

is a nitrogen adsorption technique used to measure the specific surface area of a solid.

As a proper noun Bet

is a diminutive of Elizabeth.

bet

English

Etymology 1

From 16th century criminal slang, likely from abet or (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)
  • A wager, an agreement between two parties that a stake (usually money) will be paid by the loser to the winner (the winner being the one who correctly forecast the outcome of an event).
  • Dylan owes Fletcher $30 from an unsuccessful bet.
  • A degree of certainty.
  • It’s a safe bet that it will rain tomorrow.
    It’s an even bet that Jim will come top of the maths test tomorrow

    Verb

  • To stake or pledge upon the outcome of an event; to wager.
  • * Shakespeare
  • John a Gaunt loved him well, and betted much money on his head.
  • * O. W. Holmes
  • I'll bet you two to one I'll make him do it.
  • To be sure of something; to be able to count on something.
  • You bet !
  • (poker) To place money into the pot in order to require others do the same, usually only used for the first person to place money in the pot on each round.
  • Derived terms
    * bet one's boots * bet one's bottom dollar * bet the farm

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl)

    Noun

  • Etymology 3

    guess

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) . More at (l).

    Verb

  • To reach a partly (or totally) unqualified conclusion.
  • To solve by a correct conjecture; to conjecture rightly.
  • He who guesses the riddle shall have the ring.
  • (chiefly, US) to suppose (introducing a proposition of uncertain plausibility).
  • That album is quite hard to find, but I guess you could try ordering it online.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Not all together; better far, I guess , / That we do make our entrance several ways.
  • * Alexander Pope
  • But in known images of life I guess / The labour greater.
  • *
  • (obsolete) To hit upon or reproduce by memory.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Tell me their words, as near as thou canst guess them.
    Synonyms
    * hypothesize * take a stab * speculate
    Derived terms
    * foreguess * guess what * guessable * guesser * guessing game * guesstimate * guesswork * keep someone guessing * no prize for guessing * out-guess * second-guess * you'll never guess

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) gesse. Cognate with (etyl) .

    Noun

    (es)
  • A prediction about the outcome of something, typically made without factual evidence or support.
  • If you don't know the answer, take a guess .
  • *
  • Synonyms
    * estimate * hypothesis * prediction
    Derived terms
    * another-guess * anyone's guess * by guess or by gosh * educated guess * guesswork * guesstimate * otherguess * take a guess * your guess is as good as mine