Definition of trump

trumpnoun

kèn

/trʌmp//trʌmp/

The word "trump" has its origin in the Middle English word "trompe," which meant "loud noise" or "clamor." The word was originally derived from the Old French term "trompe," which had the same meaning. In the context of games, the word "trump" entered the English language in the late 15th century when the card game of trump was first played in Europe. In this game, one suit, usually the one with the highest rank, was deemed "trumps" and held a special significance in outranking other suites. The origins of why the word "trump" was chosen for this game are unclear, but one theory suggests that it may have been coined from the Old French word "tromper," which meant "to cheat" or "to deceive." This connotation could have been attributed to the fact that in some early versions of the game, players were permitted to "trump" their opponents by playing a high-ranking card of the trump suit, potentially deceiving them and forcing them to lose a point. Regardless of its origins, the word "trump" has become embedded in our vocabulary, not only in the context of card games but also in everyday language. It is now commonly used as a synonym for "win," representing a triumph or success over others.

namespace

(in some card games) a card that belongs to the suit (= one of the four sets in a pack of cards) that has been chosen for a particular game to have a higher value than the other three suits

(trong một số trò chơi bài) một quân bài thuộc về bộ (= một trong bốn bộ trong một bộ bài) đã được chọn cho một trò chơi cụ thể để có giá trị cao hơn ba bộ còn lại

Example:
  • I played a trump and won the trick.

    Tôi đã chơi một con át chủ bài và đã thắng được trò lừa.

(in some card games) the suit that has been chosen for a particular game to have a higher value than the other three suits

(trong một số trò chơi bài) bộ đồ đã được chọn cho một trò chơi cụ thể để có giá trị cao hơn ba bộ còn lại

Example:
  • What's trumps?

    Trump là gì?

  • Clubs are trumps.

    Câu lạc bộ là những con át chủ bài.

Related words and phrases

Phrasal verbs

Idioms

come up/turn up trumps
to do what is necessary to make a particular situation successful, especially when this is sudden or unexpected
  • I didn't honestly think he'd pass the exam but he came up trumps on the day.
  • Just when we thought there was no hope, my parents turned up trumps with a large loan.