tenace

American

[ten-eys] / ˈtɛnˌeɪs /

noun

Whist, Bridge.

a sequence of two high cards of the same suit that lack an intervening card to be in consecutive order, as the ace and queen.

tenace British

/ ˈtɛneɪs /

noun

bridge whist a holding of two nonconsecutive high cards of a suit, such as the ace and queen

"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 tenace

1645–55; < Spanish tenazas tongs, tenace (in card games), derivative of tenaz ≪ Latin tenāx tenacious; compare Medieval Latin tenācēs forceps

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.

See Examples For:

tenace

If East had won with her ace, she would have been endplayed, forced to lead a diamond into declarer’s tenace or to concede a ruff-and-sluff.

From New York Times ● Jan. 4, 2015

East overruffed, but then had to lead a diamond away from his king into dummy’s ace-jack tenace.

From New York Times ● Apr. 21, 2013

A trump coup occurs when declarer has a tenace in the trump suit over his right-hand opponent.

From New York Times ● Jan. 13, 2010

This, while not nearly so desirable an opening as a singleton, is better than leading from a tenace.

From Auction of To-day by Work, Milton C.

Under-play in fourth hand with a large tenace.

From The Laws of Euchre As adopted by the Somerset Club of Boston, March 1, 1888 by Leeds, Herbert Corey

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023