Obs. exc. Hist. Also (? erron.) 7–8 truck. [ad. It. trucco (see below), Sp. troco.] An early form of billiards, in which an upright mark called the king was placed near one end of the table. Cf. TROLL-MADAM and TRUNK sb. 16.
[Cf. 1598. Florio, Truccare,… to play at billiards. Trucco, a kinde of play with balles vpon a table called billiards, but properly a kinde of game vsed in England with casting little bowles at a boord with thirteene holes in it.]
1672. Skinner, Etymol., Truck, Biliers or Biliards.
1674. Cotton (title), The Compleat Gamester: or, Instructions how to play at Billiards, Trucks, Bowls, and Chess.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 263/1. Truck, is an Italian Game, and is not very unlike Billiards, the Table … hath 3 holes at each end, besides the corner holes.
1736. Ainsworth, Lat. Dict., Truck (the play), ludus tudicularis.
1801. Strutt, Sports & Past., IV. i. § 16. The Italian method of playing, known in England by the name of Trucks,… had its king at one end of the table.
