pinochle

noun

pi·​noch·​le ˈpē-ˌnə-kəl How to pronounce pinochle (audio)
: a card game played with a 48-card pack containing two each of A, K, Q, J, 10, 9 in each suit with the object to score points by melding certain combinations of cards or by winning tricks that contain scoring cards
also : the meld of queen of spades and jack of diamonds scoring 40 points in this game

Examples of pinochle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The men played lots of cards – pinochle. — Terry Pluto, cleveland, 25 Dec. 2022 Bingo returns July 9 (every second and fourth Friday) while every Monday there’s bridge and pinochle, as well as Mexican train dominoes. — John Benson, cleveland, 1 July 2021

Word History

Etymology

modification of German dialect Binokel, a game resembling bezique, from French dialect binocle

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pinochle was in 1864

Browse Nearby Words

Pinochet (Ugarte)
pinochle
pinochle rummy
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pinochle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pinochle. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

pinochle

noun
pi·​noch·​le ˈpē-ˌnək-əl How to pronounce pinochle (audio)
: a card game played with two cards of each suit with 9 the lowest card

More from Merriam-Webster on pinochle

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pinochle

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