Meanings
verbgo for the gloves (third-person singular simple present goes for the gloves, present participle going for the gloves, simple past went for the gloves, past participle gone for the gloves)
present singular third person goes for the gloves · participle present going for the gloves · past went for the gloves · participle past gone for the gloves
- gamblingTo bet against a racehorse on the chance of its losing, without having the wherewithal to pay if it wins.
Origin
Perhaps from the old custom of ladies betting their gloves, expecting to be paid if they won but not to pay if they lost.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
go for the gloves. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/go%20for%20the%20gloves
MLA
“go for the gloves.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/go%20for%20the%20gloves. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “go for the gloves,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/go%20for%20the%20gloves.
Source: go for the gloves on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.