punt

verb

Pronunciation: /pʊnt/ / /pʌnt/

Etymology: From Egyptian p-wn:n-t:N25 (pwnt).

A former kingdom in the Horn of Africa, Africa, on the southern shore of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. A country contemporaneous with the Old Kingdom of Egypt, where frankincense, gold, ebony, ivory is found.

Etymology: Borrowed from Irish punt, from Middle English pund. Doublet of funt, pfund, pood, and pound.

The Irish pound, used as the unit of currency of Ireland until it was replaced by the euro in 2002.

Etymology: Borrowed from French pointe or Spanish punto (“point”). Doublet of point, pointe, ponto, puncto, punctum, and punto.

To play basset, baccara, faro, etc.
“Here it was that, guarded by double doors, Sir Francis smoked cigars, and read Bell’s Life in London, and went to sleep after dinner, when he was not smoking over the billiard-table at his clubs, or punting at the gambling-houses in Saint James’s.”
To stake against the bank, to back a horse, to gamble or take a chance more generally
“She heard […] of his punting at gaming tables.”
“Whether you want to gamble on a horse race, bet on which player will score first in a game of football, have a punt on a particular tennis player winning a grand slam event, you are buying a chance, a chance which is measured in terms of probability, ‘the odds’.”
To make a highly speculative investment or other commitment, or take a wild guess.