/ˈbɪŋ.ɡəʊ/, /ˈbɪŋ.ɡoʊ/
OriginAlternative form of bing, suggesting a ringing sound. Attested since 1925.
- uncountableA 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.”
- uncountableA 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”
- countableA win in such a game.
“There were two bingos in the last game, so the players split the prize money.”
- US, countableA play where all seven of a player's letter tiles are played, awarding a score bonus.
- countable, uncountableGreat, 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”
- obsolete, slang, uncountableBrandy.
- Used by players of bingo to claim a win.
- 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!”
- informalUsed to enthusiastically confirm or validate another speaker's point.
- alt-ofAlternative letter-case form of bingo.
“The discovery of this woman’s body suddenly threw a complex of apparently unrelated incidents into an integrated whole. You grind away at routine, you collect a vast amount of data ninety-per-cent of ”
“I have this feeling of inadequacy because I can’t have any children. As a little girl, you’re playing with dolls and all this and you’re prepared right from when you are a little one. […] You’re prepa”
“"Hey Doug, what if you draw a line connecting each location; what does it look like to you?" / Doug mulls over the question for a second, sensing Marcello may be onto something. Then the light bulb go”
- alt-ofAlternative letter-case form of bingo.
- US, not-comparable, 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 Ye”
“The first pilot to get down to this bingo fuel state would call, “Banjo 4, bingo fuel,” or whatever.”
- US, alt-of, not-comparable, slangAlternative letter-case form of bingo (“just sufficient to return to base”).
- intransitiveTo play the game of bingo.
- intransitiveTo give the winning cry of "bingo!" in a game.
- intransitiveTo 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.”
- US, intransitive, slangTo return to base.
- A male given name.
“Bingo! Bingo! Where is the rascal, I wonder. […] ENTER Bingo, r. 2, with glass of cream, […]”
“Our dog, Bingo, was determined not to be left behind; […]”
“Marco stopped to talk with a boy named Bingo Brown. Bingo was eating frozen peas from a supermarket package.”
- alt-ofAlternative letter-case form of bingo (“game of chance”).
“We like playing Bingo, which is good because Beth is in special ed classes in school now, and they’re teaching her letters and numbers, and Mommy tries to help her by playing Bingo.”
“Help her talk about the simple things she enjoys in life—her favorite television program, donuts on Friday mornings, playing Bingo with her friends.”
“She was a nice person, but she was blind as a bat. She couldn’t see a Bingo card if it was as big as a barn. Poor Lois Fratelli used to play Bingo there too.”
Formsbingos(plural) · Bingo(alternative) · bingos(present, singular, third-person) · bingoing(participle, present) · bingoed(participle, past) · bingoed(past)