gambit

Universal Words noun 1 a thing that sb does, or sth that sb says at the beginning of a situation or conversation, that is intended to give them some advantage: an opening gambit (= the first thing you say) * The opposition have dismissed promises of tax cuts as a pre-election gambit. * His idea of a brilliant conversational gambit is 'What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?' 2 a move or moves made at the beginning of a game of CHESS in order to gain an advantage later