mah-jongg

Or mah-jong

[mah-jawng, -jong, -zhawng, -zhong]

noun

1. a game of Chinese origin usually played by four persons with 144 dominolike pieces or tiles marked in suits, counters, and dice, the object being to build a winning combination of pieces.

verb (used without object)

1. to win a game of mah-jongg.

Word History and Origins

Origin of mah-jongg¹

1920–25; < dialectal Chinese; compare Guangdong dial. màh-jéuk, Chinese máquè literally, sparrow (depicted on the first tile of a set), equivalent to má hemp + què bird