pachinko

[ puh-ching-koh ]

noun

1. a Japanese pinball game played on a vertical machine in which slots struck by the player's ball release other balls that in turn are exchanged for noncash prizes.

pachinko

/ pəˈtʃɪŋkəʊ /

noun

1. a Japanese game similar to pinball

Word History and Origins

Origin of pachinko¹

1950–55; < Japanese, equivalent to pachin click! (imitative) + -ko diminutive suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of pachinko¹

C20: possibly from Japanese pachin, imitative of the sound of a ball being fired by a trigger

Example Sentences

Some citizens kill their times in local Japanese gambling shops, called pachinko parlors, or drinking heavily.

From The Daily Beast