gambit

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. An opening in chess in which a minor piece, or pieces, usually a pawn, is offered in exchange for a favorable position.
2. n. A maneuver, stratagem, or ploy, especially one used at an initial stage.
3. n. A remark intended to open a conversation.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. In chess-playing, an opening in which a pawn or a piece is sacrificed, or at least offered, for the sake of, or with the object of obtaining, an advantageous attack. The gambit is said to be accepted or declined, according as the pawn or piece thus offered is or is not taken. A gambit played by the second player is called a counter-gambit. Of all the chess-openings, the Evans gambit (so named from a captain of the British navy, who originated it about 1833) has been the most thoroughly analyzed in its multitudinous variations; while next in order probably come the King's Bishop's gambit and the Scotch gambit. Some of the gambits differentiated below in the ordinary chess notation are developments of others, and, in particular, several (the Allgaier, King's Bishop's, Muzio, etc.) are ramifications of the King's gambit proper.

Wiktionary

1. n. An opening in chess, in which a minor piece (often a pawn) is sacrificed to gain an advantage.
2. n. Any ploy or stratagem.
3. n. A remark intended to open a conversation.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. (Chess Playing) A mode of opening the game, in which a pawn is sacrificed to gain an attacking position.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a maneuver in a game or conversation
2. n. a chess move early in the game in which the player sacrifices minor pieces in order to obtain an advantageous position
3. n. an opening remark intended to secure an advantage for the speaker