In the 16th century, Turkish women could divorce their husbands if the man failed to keep his family’s pot filled with coffee.
WHIST
whist, long whist, short whist
(noun) a card game for four players who form two partnerships; a pack of 52 cards is dealt and each side scores one point for each trick it takes in excess of six
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology 1
Noun
whist (countable and uncountable, plural whists)
Any of several four-player card games, similar to bridge.
A session of playing this card game.
Etymology 2
Interjection
whist
Alternative spelling of whisht. Silence!, quiet!, hush!, shhh!, shush!
Verb
whist (third-person singular simple present whists, present participle whisting, simple past and past participle whisted)
(transitive, rare) To hush, shush, or silence; to still.
(intransitive, rare) To become silent.
Adjective
whist (comparative more whist, superlative most whist)
(rare) Silent, husht.
Anagrams
• Whits, swith, whits, wisht, withs
Source: Wiktionary
Whist, interj. Etym: [Cf. G. st! pst! bst! Hist.]
Definition: Be silent; be still; hush; silence.
Whist, n. Etym: [From Whist, interj.]
Definition: A certain game at cards; -- so called because it requires silence and close attention. It is played by four persons (those who sit opposite each other being partners) with a complete pack of fifty-two cards. Each player has thirteen cards, and when these are played out, he hand is finished, and the cards are again shuffled and distributed.
Note: Points are scored for the tricks taken in excess of six, and for the honors held. In long whist, now seldom played, ten points make the game; in short whist, now usually played in England, five points make the game. In American whist, so-called, honors are not counted, and seven points by tricks make the game.
Whist, v. t. Etym: [From Whist, interj.]
Definition: To hush or silence. [Obs.] Spenser.
Whist, v. i.
Definition: To be or become silent or still; to be hushed or mute. [R.] Surrey.
Whist, a. Etym: [Properly p. p. of whist, v.]
Definition: Not speaking; not making a noise; silent; mute; still; quiet. "So whist and dead a silence." Sir J. Harrington. The winds, with wonder whist, Smoothly the waters kissed. Milton.
Note: This adjective generally follows its noun, or is used predicatively.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
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