euchre

noun eu·chre \ ˈyü-kər \

Definition of euchre

: a card game in which each player is dealt five cards and the player making trump must take three tricks to win a hand

euchre was our Word of the Day on 01/22/2013. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of euchre from the Web

Card games are most common—poker, euchre, a derivation of spades called Snarples.

— alex prewitt, SI.com, "Calculated Risk: NHLers Turn to Classic Game for Entertainment on the Road," 12 Dec. 2017
Its rules are simpler to understand than those of hearts, euchre or other adult staples.

— dan kois, New York Times, "Letter of Recommendation: Cabbages and Kings," 2 Nov. 2017
On the other side of the room, Odey Zierfuss, Dave Neefe, Junior Miller and Bill Kraska are engaged in euchre, a classic card game of the Midwest.

— salena zito, Twin Cities, "Salena Zito: Respect for community and flag can bring the country together," 15 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of euchre

origin unknown

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1835

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Other Game Terms

bezique, carom, convention, crap, gambit, monte, parlay, tierce

euchre

verb

Definition of euchre

euchred; euchring play \ˈyü-k(ə-)riŋ\

transitive verb

1 : to prevent from winning three tricks in euchre

2 : cheat, trick

euchred out of their life savings
—Pete Martin

Examples of euchre in a Sentence

a fast-talking speculator who thought that euchring the tribe out of their land would be easy

Did You Know?

Euchre is a card game for four players that is played in tricks, or rounds, with a deck of 32 cards. Etymologists aren't sure where we got the name for the game, though they do know that it first appeared in English in the mid-19th century. The first sense of the verb euchre arose from an action that takes place during the game: a player is euchred when an opponent blocks him or her from winning three or more tricks after making trump. Deception can often be key to a winning strategy, and sure enough it took almost no time at all for euchre to develop a sense meaning "cheat" or "trick."