🏎️ Sharp road bends 🃏 No trump cards 🕵️ Trickery or cheating 🙅 To object needlessly

chicane

9.9

A hand with no cards of the trump suit

noun
/ʃɪˈkeɪn/

Jargon

: renuncio

In bridge, a hand with no trump cards is called a chicane.

Examples

Holding a chicane can be both an advantage and a disadvantage in bridge.
She was dealt a chicane, making her strategy much more challenging.
If you declare a chicane, the scoring can change significantly.
She had a chicane in her hand during the tournament.
In bridge, a hand with no trump cards is called a chicane.
She was dealt a chicane, which complicated her game strategy.
Holding a chicane means you must adapt your tactics in bridge.

Compounds

mobile chicane

9.0

A temporary barrier on a road that slows vehicles and guides traffic

Surface Forms

chicane singular

chicanes plural

Etymology

Chicane comes from French where it meant a 'trick' or a 'small problem' in a game, and card players used it for difficult hands; in bridge a chicane is a hand with no trumps, which makes play tricky. So, the name links the idea of a 'trick' or awkward position to this special kind of hand.