[Altered f. WHISK sb.2 explained as in quot. 1680.] A game of cards played (ordinarily) by four persons, of whom each two sitting opposite each other are partners, with a pack of 52 cards, which are dealt face downwards to the players in rotation, so that each has a hand of 13 cards; one of the suits (usually determined by the last card dealt, which is then turned face upwards) is trumps (see TRUMP sb.2 1); the players play in rotation, each four successive cards so played constituting a trick (TRICK sb. 11), in which each player after the leader must follow suit if he holds a card of the suit led, otherwise may either discard or trump; the winner of a trick becomes the leader of the next trick; points are scored according to the number of tricks won, and in some forms of the game also by the honours or highest trumps (HONOUR sb. 8 a) held by each pair of partners.
Dummy whist see DUMMY sb. 2. Duplicate whist, a form of the game in which the hands played are preserved and played again by the opposing partners. Long whist, a form of the game in which the score is ten points with honours counting. Short whist, the form now usual in England, in which the score is five points with honours counting.
1663. (spurious ed.) Butler, Hud., II. i. 105. But what was this? A Game at Whist, Unto our Plowden-Canonist.
1680. Cotton, Compl. Gamester (ed. 2), 83. Whist is a Game not much differing from [Ruff and Honours], only they put out the Deuces and take in no stock; and is called Whist from the silence that is to be observed in the play; they deal as before, playing four, two of a side, (some play at two handed, or three handed Whist).
1742. Walpole, Corr. (1820), I. 225. Whist has spread an universal opium over the whole nation.
1758. Johnson, Idler, No. 33, ¶ 22. We sat late at whist.
1827. Lytton, Pelham, iii. Elderly ladies, who … liked long whist.
1842. Lever, J. Hinton, ix. My little gains at short-whist.
1861. E. Dutton Cook, Paul Foster’s Dau., viii. I should like … a good rubber of long whist.
1885. R. A. Proctor, Whist, Introd. 1. Whist, properly played, is the finest of all card games.
1891. J. T. Mitchell (title), Duplicate-Whist.
b. attrib. and Comb., as whist club, -like adj., memory, party, -play, -player, -playing sb. and adj., -table; whist-drive, a party of progressivo whist (see PROGRESSIVE a. 2 b) played for prizes.
1799. E. D. Clarke, in Life (1824), 349. I shall … ask him, if he will … belong to our *whist club.
1903. ‘Jar,’ Progr. Whist, 6 A. *Whist Drive is a modification of Progressive Whist.
1837. Dickens, Pickw., xxxv. Two other ladies of an ancient and *whist-like appearance.
1886. ‘Cavendish,’ Whist, 136. With practice, you will acquire what may be termed *‘whist memory.’
1828. Sir R. Peel, Priv. Lett. (1920), 109. A *whist party consisting of the Duke of Wellington, Mrs. Arbuthnot, Lord Westmorland, Lady A. Beckett.
1861. Lever, One of Them, xxvii. His notion is, that life, like a whist-party, requires an accomplice.
1888. Encycl. Brit., XXIV. 544/2. All rules of *whist-play depend upon … general principles.
1770. in Alex. Carlyle’s Autobiog. (1910), 560. He makes a very good livelihood … by betting on the *whist-players.
1824. Miss Mitford, Village, Ser. I. Country Cricket-Match. Feeling what a whist-player feels when he takes up four honors, seven trumps!
1837. Dickens, Pickw., vi. The whist-players were Mr. Pickwick and the old lady; Mr. Miller and the fat gentleman.
1837. Lockhart, Scott, IV. i. 7. A few *whist-playing brother officers, that met for an evening rubber at Fortune’s tavern.
1842. Dickens, Amer. Notes, ii. There was less whist-playing than might have been expected.
1753. Scots Mag., XV. 36/1. Her absence rendered one *whist-table useless.
1877. Mrs. Forrester, Mignon, i. There were whist tables in the library if any one cared to play.
Hence (nonce-wds.) Whist v. (a) trans. to play out (a card) at whist; (b) intr. to play whist; Whister, a whist-player; Whisthood, age or state of ability to play whist; Whisty a., addicted to whist.
1810. Splendid Follies, III. 6. She generally whisted out kings before aces, and revoked every deal.
1827. Lady Granville, Lett. (1894), I. 433. Talking, singing, whisting.
1854. Chamb. Jrnl., 2 Dec., 353/2. Young ladies, nearly arrived at whisthood.
1860. All Year Round, No. 47. 482/2. Your erring mortal, your whister,… rash with his aces, and a niggard of some beggarly small trump.
1884. Jean Middlemass, Poisoned Arrows, ix. The whisty old colonel.
1890. ‘R. Boldrewood,’ Col. Reformer, xxii. Bankers … in great force…, musical bankers, and bankers that danced, bankers that billiarded and whisted.
