Trump
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: /tɹʌmp/
- Rhymes: -ÊŒmp
Origin 1
Possibly from Italian trionfi (triumph(s)).
Full definition of trump
Noun
trump
(plural trumps)- (US, in the singular, cards) The suit, in a game of cards, that outranks all others.
- (British, in the plural, cards) The suit, in a game of cards, that outranks all others.Diamonds were declared trumps.
- (cards) A playing card of that suit.He played an even higher trump.
- (figuratively) Something that gives one an advantage, especially one held in reserve.
- (colloquial, now rare) An excellent person; a fine fellow, a good egg.
- 1851, Herman Melville, ,All hands voted Queequeg a noble trump; the captain begged his pardon.
- ThackerayAlfred is a trump, I think you say.
- An old card game, almost identical to whist; the game of ruff.
- (in the plural) The major arcana of the tarot
- A card of the major arcana
Verb
- (transitive, cards) To play a trump (on a card of another suit).He knew the hand was lost when his ace was trumped.
- (intransitive, cards) To play a trump, or to take a trick with a trump
- (transitive) To get the better of, or finesse, a competitor.
- Ben Jonsonto trick or trump mankind
- (dated) To impose unfairly; to palm off.
- C. LeslieAuthors have been trumped upon us.
- (transitive) To supersede.In this election, it would seem issues of national security trumped economic issues.
Origin 2
From Middle English trompe "trumpet" from Old French trompe "horn, trump, trumpet", from Frankish *trumpa, *trumba "trumpet". Akin to Old High German trumpa, trumba "horn, trumpet", Middle Dutch tromme "drum", Middle Low German trumme "drum". More at trumpet, drum.