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Glite Dictionary
spillikins

spillikins

9.9
A game of taking small sticks from a pile without moving others
  • noun
  • Archaic
: spillikins
  • We used to play spillikins with my grandmother on rainy afternoons.

Examples

  • He found an old set of spillikins in the attic and taught the game to his friends.

  • The careful hand required in spillikins makes it a challenging pastime for children and adults alike.

  • We played spillikins at the family gathering.

  • Can you show me how to play spillikins?

  • He found an old set of spillikins in the attic and taught the game to his friends.

  • We used to play spillikins with my grandmother on rainy afternoons.

  • The careful hand required in spillikins makes it a challenging pastime for children and adults alike.

Synonyms

jackstraws
vsspillikins
1 9.9

A game where players pull sticks from a pile without moving the others

emphasizes using skill and names each small stick individually

Surface Forms

spillikin singular
spillikins plural

Etymology

The word spillikins comes from an old word for a small 'splinter' or 'stick', so it names the tiny sticks used in the game. That's why spillikins now means those little wooden sticks (and the careful game where players remove one without moving the others).