blackjack

play

noun black·jack \ -ˌjak \

Definition of blackjack

[black + jack (vessel)]

:a tankard for beer or ale usually of tar-coated leather

2 :sphalerite

3 :a hand weapon typically consisting of a piece of leather-enclosed metal with a strap or springy shaft for a handle

4 :an often scrubby oak (Quercus marilandica) chiefly of the southeastern U.S. — called also blackjack oak

5 a :a card game the object of which is to be dealt cards having a higher count than those of the dealer up to but not exceeding 21 — called also twenty-one, vingt-et-un

b :an ace and a face card or ten as the first two cards dealt to a player in the game of blackjack — called also natural, twenty-one

See blackjack defined for English-language learners

See blackjack defined for kids

Recent Examples of blackjack from the Web

Fantasy blackjack The standalone version of Gwent has been pseudo-accessible for a while now, spiraling through a couple of alpha and beta periods.

— hayden dingman, PCWorld, "This week in games: KFC's creepy VR training, Anno 1800 revealed, Brink goes free-to-play," 25 Aug. 2017
Today, the public might know how to play blackjack or bridge, but few stop to consider that a deck of cards is a marvel of engineering, design, and history.

— adrienne bernhard, The Atlantic, "The Lost Origins of Playing-Card Symbols," 24 Aug. 2017
Four generations of Landry blood taught Charles Landry to love this stubborn blackjack mud.

— ted jackson, NOLA.com, "Sugarlands - The Untold Story," 20 Aug. 2017
Live music, poker and blackjack Fri-Sat, food and more. 513-741-5300; www.st.james.net.

— rasputin todd, Cincinnati.com, "Things to do this week: July 17-23," 17 July 2017
But just then the nightclub owner, wielding a blackjack, clubbed the man over the head, knocking him out cold.

— bruce arians and lars anderson, SI.com, "Ten things you (probably) didn't know about Bruce Arians, the Cardinals' head coach," 7 July 2017
The state agreed not to appeal a 2016 court decision that allowed the Seminoles to offer blackjack through 2030.

— dan sweeney, Sun-Sentinel.com, "New gambling deal leaves racetracks and Seminoles at odds," 6 July 2017
As part of his decision, Hinkle ruled the tribe could keep blackjack tables in place for another 14 years.

— gary fineout, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Florida and Seminoles settle blackjack dispute," 5 July 2017
As part of that conversion, the ship's cavernous concert hall -- the location of so many New Orleans memories -- was outfitted with roulette, blackjack and poker tables, as well as slot machines.

— mike scott, NOLA.com, "When the SS President rolled (and rocked) on the Mississippi River," 28 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'blackjack.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of blackjack

circa 1540

blackjack

verb

Definition of blackjack

transitive verb

1 :to strike with a blackjack

2 :to coerce with threats or pressure

Examples of blackjack in a Sentence

you cannot blackjack me into going along with this
a couple of thugs trying to blackjack a shopkeeper into paying protection money

First Known Use of blackjack

1905

blackjack Synonyms

Synonyms

force, coerce, compel, constrain, dragoon, drive, impel, impress, make, muscle, obligate, oblige, press, pressure, sandbag

Related Words

browbeat, bulldoze, bully, cow, hector, intimidate; blackmail, high-pressure, menace, shame, terrorize, threaten; drag; badger, harass, hound

Near Antonyms

allow, let, permit; argue, convince, induce, move, persuade, prevail (on or upon), satisfy, talk (into), win (over)

BLACKJACK Defined for English Language Learners

blackjack

play

noun

Definition of blackjack for English Language Learners

: a card game in which the players try to get a score that is higher than that of the dealer but less than or equal to 21
: a small leather-covered metal club used as a hand weapon