1
: a Chinese gambling game in which the banker divides a pile of objects (such as beans) into fours and players bet on what number will be left at the end of the count
2
: a card game in which players must build in sequence upon sevens and attempt to be the first one out of cards

Word History

Etymology

Chinese (Guangdong) fāantāan

First Known Use

1878, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fan-tan was in 1878

Dictionary Entries Near fan-tan

Cite this Entry

“Fan-tan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fan-tan. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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