Толковый словарь английского языка - martingale

noun Etymology: Middle French Date: 1584 a device for steadying a horse's head or checking its upward movement that typically consists of a strap fastened to the girth, passing between the forelegs, and bifurcating to end in two rings through which the reins pass, 2. a lower stay of rope or chain for the jibboom used to sustain the strain of the forestays and fastened to or rove through the dolphin striker, dolphin striker, any of several systems of betting in which a player increases the stake usually by doubling each time a bet is lost