Word Study
fan-tan
CIDE DICTIONARY
fan-tan, n. [Chinese (of Canton) in an-tan-kun gambling house.].
- A Chinese gambling game in which coins or other small objects are placed upon a table, usually under a cup, and the players bet as to what remainder will be left when the sum of the counters is divided by four. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
- A game with playing cards in which the cards are played in sequences upon the table, the one who first gets rid of his cards being the winner. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
fan-tan, n.
1 a Chinese gambling game in which players try to guess the remainder after the banker has divided a number of hidden objects into four groups.
2 a card-game in which players build on sequences of sevens.
1 a Chinese gambling game in which players try to guess the remainder after the banker has divided a number of hidden objects into four groups.
2 a card-game in which players build on sequences of sevens.
Etymology
Chin., = repeated divisions
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