banco

American  

[bang-koh, bahng-] / ˈbæŋ koʊ, ˈbɑŋ- /

noun

bancos plural

1. a declaration made by a bettor in certain gambling games, as baccarat and chemin de fer, indicating a bet matching the full amount in the bank, to the exclusion of all previous lower bets: often used as an interjection.

---

verb (used without object)

1. to make such a declaration.

banco British  

/ ˈbæŋkəʊ /

interjection

1. a call in gambling games such as chemin de fer and baccarat by a player or bystander who wishes to bet against the entire bank

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bancos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of banco

1745–55; < French < Italian < Germanic; see bank ²

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

banco bancos

“It’s called banco ma’ língua,” said Mr. Torres, “which is where people go to gossip.”

From New York Times ● Oct. 9, 2018

The American was challenging a Court of Appeal judgement that Crockfords Club could refuse to pay up when Ivey won the cash playing card game punto banco.

From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2017

The word “bankrupt” derives from banco rotto, meaning “broken bench”.

From Economist ● Jul. 2, 2015

Originally a Victorian parlor game, bunco made its way to the U.S. in the mid-1850s as a gambling game known first as "banco" and later as "bunco" or "bunko."

From Time Magazine Archive

As he began to experience the motion of a boat, Piang became thoroughly alarmed and, dashing aside the banco, sprang to his feet.

From The Adventures of Piang the Moro Jungle Boy A Book for Young and Old by Stuart, Florence Partello

These streams scarcely flow at all toward the north; so that in the centre of the Llanos there remain vast tracts of land called bancos and mesas* frightfully parched.

From Personal Narrative of Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of America, During the Year 1799-1804 — Volume 3 by Humboldt, Alexander von