Definition of EUCHRE

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Verb

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."

Examples of euchre in a Sentence

Verb

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

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

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.