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Glite Dictionary
long whist

long whist

9.9
A card game for four players in two pairs who score points for each trick above six
  • noun
  • Archaic
translation icon : whist largo
  • We gathered in the parlor after dinner to play a few hands of long whist.

Examples

  • The rules of long whist differ slightly from the later version known as 'short whist'.

  • In Victorian times, long whist was a popular pastime among families and friends.

  • Let's play long whist!

  • I enjoy long whist.

  • In Victorian times, long whist was a popular pastime among families and friends.

  • The rules of long whist differ slightly from the later version known as 'short whist'.

  • We gathered in the parlor after dinner to play a few hands of long whist.

Synonyms

whist
vslong whist
  • Archaic
3 8.9

A card game for four people in two teams where players win tricks to score points

is a longer variant that scores one point for each trick above six
short whist
vslong whist
  • Archaic
9.9

A card game for four people in two teams where you win points by taking tricks, played to five points

is longer in play and scores one point for every trick above six

Surface Forms

long whist singular
long whists plural

Morphology

long + whist

The noun phrase is a straightforward adjective + noun composition: 'long' modifies 'whist' to signal a longer or extended form of the whist card game. This adjectival modification is a common, cross-linguistic pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer it denotes an extended/longer variant of the game.

Etymology

Long whist gets its name from the older, longer form of the card game whist: players played many hands or to a higher score, so it was called 'long' to show it lasted longer than 'short whist'. That's why long whist today refers to the four-player partnership game where each side scores points for tricks taken above six.