bezique

American  

[buh-zeek] / bəˈzik /

noun

Cards.

1. a game resembling pinochle, originally played with 64 cards and now more commonly with 128 cards and, sometimes, 192 or 256 cards.

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bezique British  

/ bɪˈziːk /

noun

1. a card game for two or more players with tricks similar to whist but with additional points scored for honours and sequences: played with two packs with nothing below a seven

2. (in this game) the queen of spades and jack of diamonds declared together

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Etymology

Origin of bezique

1860–65; < French bésigue, bézigue, perhaps < Italian bazzica a similar game, derived variously from bazza trump card, stroke of luck, or bazzicare to frequent, haunt

Example Sentences

The admirable Howells dressed Churchill, supplied him with cigars, tended his pets, shuffled his cards at bezique, and acted as all-purpose shock absorber.

From Time Magazine Archive

Presumably he was thinking of picquet or bezique, rather than an all-night killer session at seven-card stud, but Johnson's point has been true for centuries.

From Time Magazine Archive

The PM doted on her, played bezique with her, kept her up all night listening to him brood over the delayed invasion of Sicily.

From Time Magazine Archive

And that afternoon playing bezique with Mrs. Van Hopper was not so tedious as it might have been, though my courage failed me and I said nothing of my morning.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

“We could play bezique, or euchre if you’d rather,” he said, the blue and gold dissolving from his hands in a blur.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt