Russian roulette

1. A stunt in which one spins the cylinder of a revolver loaded with only one bullet, aims the muzzle at one's head, and pulls the trigger.

2. An act of reckless bravado.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Russian roulette

1. (Games, other than specified) a game of chance in which each player in turn spins the cylinder of a revolver loaded with only one cartridge and presses the trigger with the barrel against his own head

2. any act which, if repeated several times, is likely to have disastrous consequences

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

Rus′sian roulette′

1. a lethal game of chance in which a person, using a revolver with one bullet, spins its cylinder, points the muzzle at his or her head, and pulls the trigger.

2. any reckless activity.

[1935–40]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

Russian roulette - a stunt in which you spin the cylinder of a revolver that is loaded with only one bullet and then point the muzzle at your head and pull the trigger

stunt - a difficult or unusual or dangerous feat; usually done to gain attention

Translations

roulette russa

rosyjska ruletka

Russian roulette

n → roulette russa

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

Mentioned in

References in periodicals archive

You wrote: 'The presidential primary has become a horrific game of Russian roulette that makes the poll results highly uncertain.'

Taiwan's DPP presidential primary like 'Russian roulette,' says NGO

Dr Hilary Jones, a familiar face on breakfast television, said: "Brits need to stop playing Russian roulette with flu - it is an extremely serious illness and, as such needs to be taken extremely seriously.

Stop taking risks with flu, urges doctor

"It's like playing a game of Russian roulette, nine times out of ten you will probably get away with it but there is always that one chance that you won't and it absolutely devastates lives."

Mother of Leatherhead teenager killed in drink-drive crash tells her story in moving video; Karen Marchant's daughter Becca was just 15 when she died in a drink-driving crash near the New Forest

Talking of Russian roulette, McMafia started on New Year's Day, continued on Tuesday and is now on Sunday nights.

A Bond with James will be McLovely

"UKIP and many Tories are willing to play Russian roulette with the Welsh economy, but the Liberal Democrats are not."

Claims EU exit risks tourism

Three other teenagers in the car claim their friend then pulled the trigger as part of Russian Roulette but the gun - which had one bullet loaded - fired on the first go.

Family of 'Russian Roulette' teenager fighting for life found out about shooting on Facebook; Josh Taylor was sitting in a car when he is said to have put the gun to his temple and fired

Russian Roulette can best be described as a light, entertaining novel with a particularly beguiling main character.

Russian Roulette

CAMPAIGNERS in Birmingham claim the environment minister is playing "Russian roulette" with people's homes and livelihoods.

Storms warning to Government

He said that if AEG Live had known Jackson was playing Russian roulette with the anaesthetic in his bedroom every night they would never have financed the tour.

Jackson died 'from own bad choices'' WORLDBULLETINS

The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday warned people with leptospiroris not to try to heal themselves, saying that this would be like playing Russian roulette.

See a doc, DOH tells leptospirosis sufferers