blackjack
blackjack Lexical Profile
blackjack Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A popular gambling card game in which players try to acquire cards with a total face value as close to 21 as possible without exceeding it, or a winning two-card hand consisting of an ace and a ten-point card.
"She learned the basic probabilities of blackjack before visiting the casino with her friends."
North American A short, leather-covered club with a heavy,weighted head and a flexible shaft, used as a hand weapon.
"The historical display included an old leather blackjack confiscated by police in the 1920s."
American A small, scrubby North American oak tree (Quercus marilandica) having rough, nearly black bark and wedge-shaped leaves, typically growing in dry or sandy soils.
"Stunted blackjack and post oak trees dotted the dry, rocky ridge."
A large, tar-coated leather jug or tankard formerly used in England for holding beer or ale.
"The tavern keeper set a foaming blackjack of ale upon the oak table."
• verb
North American To strike or beat with a blackjack or similar short, weighted club.
"In the classic noir film, the private detective is blackjacked in a dark alley while investigating the case."
North American To coerce, pressure, or force someone into doing something by means of threats or intimidation.
"The committee refused to be blackjacked into approving the contract without a thorough financial audit."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
As a card game, the name arose in early 20th-century American gambling halls from an original bonus payout awarded when a player held the ace of spades alongside a black jack (the jack of spades or clubs). Earlier senses refer to a large tar-coated leather drinking vessel ('jack' being a common English term for a mundane vessel or implement).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.