tombola

Everyday

1. (UK, Ireland, Australia) A tombola is a game at a fair where people buy tickets and win a prize if their ticket number matches one on a prize. tree →
2. The turning drum that tickets are drawn from in such a game. tree →

In the lessons

A familiar stall at school fêtes, church fairs and Christmas fairs in the UK and Ireland, used to raise money. Prizes are often bottles, sweets and toys given by parents. In maths it is a nice chance and probability example. Phrases: «the tombola stall», «win on the tombola», «tickets ending in 0 or 5».

Examples

• I won a bottle of bubble bath on the tombola! tree →
• Mum ran the tombola stall at the school fair. tree →
• Tickets ending in 0 or 5 win a prize at our tombola. tree →
• The tombola raised money for the new playground. tree →
• We spun the tombola and pulled out a ticket. tree →
• Please bring a bottle for the tombola. tree →
• If 1 ticket in 5 wins, your chance of winning is 1/5. tree →

Note

Plural «tombolas». In the US people say «raffle» or «drawing», though a raffle usually has a few big prizes drawn later, while in a tombola you know straight away. Maths: if 20 of 100 tickets win, the chance of a prize is 20/100 = 1/5.