noun
Uncommon
trump
truhmp
Trump (noun) means In card games, a suit chosen (or turned up) to rank higher than the other three for that hand. Example: “Hearts were trumps, so her low heart beat his ace of spades.”
noun
1
In card games, a suit chosen (or turned up) to rank higher than the other three for that hand.
"Hearts were trumps, so her low heart beat his ace of spades."
"He led with a small trump to draw out the opponents' higher cards."
"Spades were trumps in the last round, so my small spade won the trick."
2
Something held back and used to gain an advantage at the right moment.
"She kept the signed contract as a trump in case the deal turned sour."
"His insider knowledge of the market was his trump against rival bidders."
"Knowing the owner personally turned out to be our trump in the negotiation."
verb
1
To beat or outdo someone or something, especially at the last moment.
"Her final offer trumped every other bid on the house."
"A royal flush trumps any other poker hand."
"The sudden snowfall trumped all our plans for a picnic."
How to use trump
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAs a noun, the card suit that beats all others in a hand; as a verb, to beat something by playing a stronger card — or, more generally, by producing something better at the crucial moment.
Common mistake
Don't confuse the everyday verb "to trump" (beat, outrank) with the surname of the same spelling — context makes it obvious, but spellcheck won't catch a wrong capital.
Common pairings
trump card
trump someone's offer
trumps everything
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Word forms
- Plural
- trumps
- Third person singular
- trumps
- Past tense
- trumped
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Hearts were _____, so her low heart beat his ace of spades.
Etymology
Probably an alteration of "triumph" — early card games used "triumph" for the winning suit, and it wore down over time to "trump."
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for trump
See all rhymes for trump →Frequently asked questions
What does “trump” mean?
The word “trump” means in card games, a suit chosen (or turned up) to rank higher than the other three for that hand. In plain terms, as a noun, the card suit that beats all others in a hand; as a verb, to beat something by playing a stronger card — or, more generally, by producing something better at the crucial moment.
How do you pronounce “trump”?
“Trump” is pronounced truhmp (/tɹʌmp/ in IPA).
How do you use “trump” in a sentence?
Here is “trump” used in a sentence: “Hearts were trumps, so her low heart beat his ace of spades.”
What is another word for “trump”?
Words with a similar meaning to “trump” include ruff, clown and cheat.
What part of speech is “trump”?
Depending on how it is used, “trump” can be a noun and a verb.
Is “trump” a common word?
“Trump” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “trump” have?
“Trump” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: in card games, a suit chosen (or turned up) to rank higher than the other three for that hand.
What does it mean to trump a card?
To trump a card means to beat it by playing a card from the trump suit, which outranks all the ordinary suits for that hand. Even the lowest trump beats the highest card of a normal suit, so trumping is a key way to win tricks in many games.
How is the trump suit chosen?
It depends on the game. In some, such as whist, the trump suit is decided by turning up the top card of the deck after dealing. In others, like bridge or euchre, players bid or call to name it. Once set, that suit outranks the other three for the whole hand.
Which card games use trumps?
Many classic trick-taking games do. Bridge, whist, euchre, spades and hearts all use a trump suit in some form, as do the older tarot card games. The idea is central to this family of games: one suit is raised above the rest to add strategy to each hand.
What is the difference between a trump and a normal suit?
In a given hand, the three ordinary suits rank equally and only beat cards of their own kind. The trump suit is lifted above them all, so any trump beats any card from the other suits. This special status is the only thing that separates a trump from a normal suit.
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