raffle
UK[ˈræfl̩]US[ˈræfl̩]
n
a lottery in which people buy tickets to win prizes.
v
to offer something as a prize in a raffle.
Etymology
the word 'raffle' entered english in the late 14th century from old french, where 'raffle' referred to a dice game. the old french term likely came from a germanic source, perhaps related to middle dutch 'raffel' meaning 'dice game' or the verb 'raffelen' meaning 'to roll dice'. the core idea was one of chance and gambling. over time, the meaning specialized from a general game of dice to a specific type of lottery where tickets are sold for a chance to win a prize, which is its primary modern sense.
Analysis
this word is a simplex loanword. it does not contain separable morphemes within its modern english spelling.
Examples
she won a car in the church raffle.
the school is raffling off a holiday to raise funds.
all proceeds from the raffle tickets will go to charity.