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Synonyms

pinochle

American  
[pee-nuhk-uhl, -nok-] / ˈpi nʌk əl, -nɒk- /
Also penuckle,

noun

  1. a popular card game played by two, three, or four persons, with a 48-card deck.

  2. a meld of the queen of spades and the jack of diamonds in this game.


pinochle British  
/ ˈpiːnʌkəl /

noun

  1. a card game for two to four players similar to bezique

  2. the combination of queen of spades and jack of diamonds in this game

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of pinochle

1860–65, < Swiss German Binokel, Binoggel < Swiss French binocle literally, pince-nez ( binocle 1 ), probably adopted as synonym of the less current French besicles spectacles, folk-etymological alteration of bezigue bezique

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But there are many things that bring her joy: a tight network of friends, some kept since her days at Howard, others made recently over fiercely competitive rounds of the card game pinochle.

From Washington Post • Dec. 7, 2022

Whatever the task — from roasting peanuts for his grandfather’s pinochle buddies to building a tool shed from scratch — it had to be done right.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 15, 2022

The Prius driver, Robert Hassan, was a 76-year-old retired physician and Air Force colonel driving home after playing pinochle with friends, according to his brother.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 22, 2022

Irma, Agnes, Bertha, Floyd—they sound like finalists in a pinochle tournament.

From The New Yorker • Nov. 25, 2019

He explained, impatiently, how you bid in pinochle, and so I did.

From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan