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Definition of tombola

tombola

/ˈtɑːm.bə.lə/
tom · bo · la
Plural:tombolas
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tombola Lexical Profile

tombola Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

British A game of chance commonly played at fetes and fairs in which participants draw rolled-up tickets from a revolving drum to win immediate prizes.

Example

"She won a basket of homemade preserves at the village fete's charity tombola."

2

A traditional Italian board and lottery game, similar to bingo, in which numbered tokens are drawn at random from a bag or basket and matched against numbers on players' cards.

Example

"During the Christmas holidays in Naples, the entire extended family gathered around the table to play tombola."

3

The hollow, revolving cylindrical drum or barrel from which lottery or raffle tickets are drawn.

Example

"The organizer gave the brass tombola a vigorous spin before drawing the winning ticket."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for tombola

• Nearby Words

tomb
tombigbee
tomblike
tombola
tomboy
tomboyish
tomboyishly

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed in the late 19th century from Italian 'tombola', derived from the verb 'tombolare' meaning 'to tumble' or 'to fall headlong', in reference to the tumbling of numbered pieces inside a revolving drum.

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Tombola. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/tombola
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