# odds

Pronunciation: say "ODZ" US /ɑdz/, UK /ɒdz/

## Noun

1. The ratio between the probability that an event will happen and the probability that it will not.
   - Simple: The chance that something will happen, compared to the chance that it will not.
   - _Analysts expressed the odds as a ratio rather than a simple percentage._
   - _The odds against the underdog finishing first were enormous._
2. In betting, the ratio of the amount that can be won to the amount staked.
   - Simple: In betting, how much money you can win compared with the amount you bet.
   - _The track posted generous odds on the unfancied horse._
   - _Bettors rushed to back the favorite once the odds shortened._
3. In casual play, an advantage granted to a weaker opponent to even the game, usually by removing one of the stronger player's pieces or allowing the weaker player extra time.
   - Simple: A head start given to the weaker player in a casual game, often by removing one of the stronger player's pieces.
   - _The grandmaster offered odds of a knight to level the friendly match._
   - _Giving odds to a novice, the veteran removed his queen before the first move._
4. Plural of odd. — plural of odd
   - Simple: Plural of odd. Use this when you mean more than one odd number or odd item.
   - _Adding two odds always gives an even number._
   - _The list separated the evens from the odds._

## Origin

This word comes from "odd," meaning "uneven, strange."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/odds (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).