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pok·er²

(pōkər)

Any of various card games played by two or more players who bet on the value of their hands.

[Probably from French poque, a card game similar to poker popular in the 18th century, probably from German pochen, to knock, pound, boast, brag (as in (ich) poche, (I) knock, bet (said while rapping the table when opening in the German card game Pochspiel)); akin to German poch, interjection imitative of a knock.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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