one-armed bandit

[wuhn-ahrmd] /ˈwʌnˌɑrmd/
noun, Informal.
1.
slot machine (def 1).
Also, onearm bandit.
Origin
1935-40, Americanism
British Dictionary definitions for one-armed bandit

one-armed bandit

noun
1.
a fruit machine operated by pulling down a lever at one side
Slang definitions & phrases for one-armed bandit

one-arm bandit

noun phrase

A slot machine (1938+)


Idioms and Phrases with one-armed bandit

one-armed bandit

A slot machine, as in It's amazing how many people think they can make money playing a one-armed bandit. This term refers to both appearance and function: the operating lever looks like an arm, and the machine in effect robs players, since it “wins” and keeps the player's money in an overwhelming majority of instances. [ c. 1930 ]
Encyclopedia Article for one-armed bandit

fruit machine

gambling device operated by dropping one or more coins or tokens into a slot and pulling a handle or pushing a button to activate one to three or more reels marked into horizontal segments by varying symbols. The machine pays off by dropping into a cup or trough from two to all the coins in the machine, depending on how and how many of the symbols line up when the rotating reels come to rest. Symbols traditionally used include stars, card suits, bars, numbers (7 is a favourite), various pictured fruits-cherries, plums, oranges, lemons, and watermelons-and the words jackpot and bar

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