klaberjass

[ klah-ber-yahs ]

noun

1. a card game played with a 32-card pack, made by removing all cards below the sevens from a regular 52-card pack, in which scoring values are assigned to certain cards taken in tricks, to sequences in the same suit, to the king and queen of trumps, and to the last trick.

Word History and Origins

Origin of klaberjass¹

1890–95; < German Klaberjass, Klaberjasch ≪ Dutch klaverjas, originally a trump card, the jack of clubs, in the game of jas ( klaver ( en ) clubs, literally, clover + jas, perhaps special use of Jas, short for Jasper a man's name)