English Explanatory Dictionary

whist

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Any of several four-player card games, similar to bridge.
  2. A session of playing this card game.
intj
  1. Alternative spelling of whisht. Silence!, quiet!, hush!, shhh!, shush!
  2. Onomatopoeia for slicing.
verb
  1. To hush or shush; to still.
  2. To become silent.
adj
  1. Silent, hushed.

Pronunciation

/ˈwɪst/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-whist.wav /ˈʍɪst/ [ˈw̥ɪst]

Word forms

whist whists whisting whisted more whist most whist

Etymology

Alteration of whisk, perhaps so called from the notion of “whisking” up cards after each trick. Altered perhaps on assumption that the word was an interjection invoking silence, by influence of whist (“silent”).

Related words

Whist in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

Derived words

bid whist bridge whist Chinese whist domino whist dummy whist German whist honeymoon whist long whist Minnesota whist Norwegian whist Russian whist Scotch whist Scots whist short whist solo whist
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