backgammon

noun

back·​gam·​mon ˈbak-ˌga-mən 

ˌbak-ˈga-

: a board game played with dice and counters in which players try to be the first to gather their pieces into one corner and then systematically remove them from the board

Examples of backgammon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Wooden balconies look out over a courtyard that resonates with the clack of backgammon pieces and the clink of tea glasses. —Nicola Chilton, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Feb. 2026

Some knit, some play backgammon, and some (like Martin Scorsese) make documentaries about people that interest them. —Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Feb. 2026

Half of us saw a heartwarming story of immigrants who had dreams to come to America, work hard, get married, grow up, raise families, sing, dance, play backgammon. —Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026

Chess, meanwhile, is thought to have originated in ancient India, and nobody really knows when or where backgammon originated. —Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 10 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from back entry 3 + Middle English gamen, game game

First Known Use

1647, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for backgammon

• examen
• examine
• glutamine
• famine
• gammon
• mammon
• reexamine

Kids Definition

backgammon

noun

back·​gam·​mon ˈbak-ˌgam-ən 

ˌbak-ˈgam-

: a board game for two played with dice in which the object is to be the first to move all one's pieces around and off the board