Etymologically
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gamer

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 26 October 2026 at 01:53. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • UK: /ˈɡeɪ̯mə/[1]
  • US: /ˈɡeɪ̯mɚ/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English game + -er, partly from the noun and partly from the verb;[2] Etymonline takes it as an agent noun from the verb.[3] The noun game is inherited from Middle English game, inherited from Old English gamen (“joy, fun; game, amusement”).[3] The surname of Johannes le Gamer, in a Close Roll of 1248, may show earlier use, in an uncertain meaning.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

A person who takes part in a game, pastime or sport, often one who plays for stakes, a gambler: before 1450, in a record from Walsall.[2] Etymonline dates it to the mid 15th century, for an athlete.[3]

Semantic evolution

Beside it, gamester is recorded from the 1580s,[3] and in 1887 gamer it was used of a hunter of game.[2] Its modern life began with games of strategy and fantasy: players of war games and role-playing games were gamers from 1969,[2] and Etymonline finds it used of Dungeons & Dragons players by 1975.[3] The sense "person who plays video or computer games, especially habitually" is recorded from 1977 in the OED and by 1981 in Etymonline, which quotes the magazine Video of May 1981 on gamers in search of opponents.[2][3] In North American sports slang from 1977, a gamer is an athlete who always plays hard or performs best in real games.[2][4] In American street slang from 1967 it was a pimp or confidence trickster,[5] and on campus around 2000 someone ready for a challenge.[5]

Timeline

  • 1248 – the surname le Gamer.[2]
  • before 1450 – a player of games, a gambler.[2]
  • 1887 – a hunter of game.[2]
  • 1967 – US slang, a pimp or trickster.[5]
  • 1969 – a player of war games or role-playing games.[2]
  • 1977 – a player of video or computer games.[2]
  • 1977 – an athlete who always plays hard.[2][4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A person who plays video or computer games, especially regularly: The new console sold out among gamers within hours.[4][2]
  2. A player of role-playing games or war games.[2]
  3. (North American sports) An athlete who relishes competition and always makes a strong effort.[4][2]
  4. A person who plays games; formerly, a gambler.[4][2]
  5. (US slang) A pimp or confidence trickster.[5]
  • game
  • gamester
  • wargamer

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d e Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ a b c d Green, Jonathon (2010), Green's Dictionary of Slang, London: Chambers; digital ed. 2016–, https://greensdictofslang.com