WHIST

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does whist mean? 

• WHIST (noun)
  The noun WHIST has 1 sense:

1. a card game for four players who form two partnerships; a pack of 52 cards is dealt and each side scores one point for each trick it takes in excess of six

  Familiarity information: WHIST used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• WHIST (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A card game for four players who form two partnerships; a pack of 52 cards is dealt and each side scores one point for each trick it takes in excess of six

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

long whist; short whist; whist

Hypernyms ("whist" is a kind of...):

card game; cards (a game played with playing cards)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "whist"):

dummy whist (a form of whist with three players; four hands are dealt with the hand opposite the dealer being face up)

Black Maria; hearts (a form of whist in which players avoid winning tricks containing hearts or the queen of spades)

 Context examples 

When the card-tables were placed, he had the opportunity of obliging her in turn, by sitting down to whist.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

She hates whist I know; but is there no round game she cares for?

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Whist and speculation; which will amuse me most?

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

It was shown that, after dinner on the day of his death, he had played a rubber of whist at the latter club.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The lean man with the weak knees is General Scott who lives upon toast and water and has won £200,000 at whist.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Well, Mr. Holmes, I supped there, as the vicar has said, and my elder brother George proposed a game of whist afterwards.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The men made snowshoes, hunted fresh meat for the larder, and in the long evenings played endless games of whist and pedro.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

I am lost in the recollection of this delicious interview, and the waltz, when she comes to me again, with a plain elderly gentleman who has been playing whist all night, upon her arm, and says: Oh! here is my bold friend!

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Mr. Weston is rather an easy, cheerful-tempered man, than a man of strong feelings; he takes things as he finds them, and makes enjoyment of them somehow or other, depending, I suspect, much more upon what is called society for his comforts, that is, upon the power of eating and drinking, and playing whist with his neighbours five times a week, than upon family affection, or any thing that home affords.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

The former left them soon after tea to fulfill her evening engagements; and Elinor was obliged to assist in making a whist table for the others.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)