blackjack

Definition

A common gambling card game in casinos, where the object is to get as close to 21 without going over.

Etymology

From black + jack.

Example Sentences

• "The pain is sometimes like the dull, heavy thud of being hit with a lead-filled blackjack; other times like a wizard is reaching deep below the skin and ripping muscles, tendons, and nerves."
• "A little creek ran through the land, and the prairie rolled a little there, too. Nothing but blackjacks for miles around it, but on that section, because of the water, I suppose, there were elms and persimmons and cottonwoods and even a grove of pecans."
• "A steep slope rose, crested by stunted blackjacks."