Odds
/ɑdz/noun
The likelihood that something will happen, or the ratio of one outcome to another in gambling or statistics.
Did you know?In Old Norse, the ancestor of English *odd* meant a point or tip, and the modern sense of “uneven” grew from the image of something standing out like a sharp point from the rest.
Etymological Timeline
Old Norse
ON
oddi
“a point, tip, or triangle”
Old English
OE
odd
“a point; later, something left over or standing apart”
Middle English
ME
odd
“uneven, leftover, extra”
16th Century
English
odds
“the state of being unequal or in excess; later, a ratio in betting”
Modern English
English
odds
“probability, especially in gambling or statistics”