gamin
    n 1: (sometimes offensive) a homeless boy who has been abandoned
         and roams the streets [syn: street arab, gamin,
         throwaway]

Gamin \Gam"in\, n. [F.]
   A neglected and untrained city boy; a young street Arab.
   [1913 Webster]

         In Japan, the gamins run after you, and say, 'Look at
         the Chinaman.'                           --L. Oliphant.
   [1913 Webster]

GAMING. A contract between two or more persons by which they agree to play 
by certain rules at cards, dice, or other contrivance, and that one shall be 
the loser, and the other the winner. When considered in itself, and without 
regard to the end proposed by the player's, there is nothing in it contrary 
to natural equity, and the contract will be considered as a reciprocal gift, 
which the parties make of the thing played for, under certain. conditions. 
     2. There are some games which depend altogether upon skill, others, 
upon chance, and some others are of a mixed nature. Billiards is an example 
of the first; lottery of the second; and backgammon of the last. 
     3. In general, at common law all games are lawful, unless some fraud 
has been practiced, or such games are contrary to public policy. Each of the 
parties to the contract must, 1. Have a right to the money or thing played 
for. 2. He must have given his full and free consent, and not been entrapped 
by fraud. 3. There must be equality in the play. 4. The play must be 
conducted fairly. But even when all these rules have been observed, the 
courts will not countenance gaming by giving too easy a remedy for the 
recovery of money won at play. Bac. Ab. h. t. A. 
     4. But when fraud has been practiced, as in all other cases, the 
contract is void and in some cases, when the party has been guilty of 
cheating, by playing with false dice, cards and the like, he may be indicted 
at common law, and fined and imprisoned, according to the heinousness of the 
offence. 1 Russ. on Cr, 406. 
     5. Statutes have been passed in perhaps all the states forbidding 
gaining for money, at certain games, and prohibiting the recovery of money 
lost at such games. Vide Bac. Ab. h. t.; Dane's Ab. Index, h. t.; Poth. 
Traite du Jeu; Merlin, Repertoire, mot Jeu; Barbeyrac, Traite du Jeu, tome 
1, p. 104, note 4; 1 P. A. Browne's Rep. 171: 1 Overt. R. 360; 3 Pick. 446; 
7 Cowen, 496; 1 Bibb, 614; 1 Miss. 635; Mart. & Yerg. 262; 1 Bailey, 315; 6 
Rand. 694; 8 Cowen, 139; 2 Blackf. 251; 3 Blackf. 294; and Stakeholder; 
Wagers.