Standard Lemma guide

blackjack

noun · verb · 18 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • blăk'jăk
  • /ˈblækd͡ʒæk/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: B L AE1 K JH AE2 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: card-games, games

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: pontoon, twenty-one, vingt-et-un

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A hand in the game of blackjack consisting of a face card and an ace.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: card-games, games

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A variant of switch where each player is initially dealt the same number of cards, usually seven, and when one player plays a black jack the player whose turn comes next has to pick up that many cards, unless they play a red jack (as this normally cancels a black jack).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: card-games, games

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A variant of hearts where the Jack of Spades is the penalty card.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: card-games, games

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

The flag (i.e., a jack) traditionally flown by pirate ships; popularly thought to be a white skull and crossed bones on a black field (the Jolly Roger).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A small, flat, blunt, usually leather-covered weapon loaded with heavy material such as lead or ball bearings, intended to inflict a blow to the head that renders the victim unconscious with diminished risk of lasting cranial trauma.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: engineering, government, military, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, politics, tools, war, weaponry

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A tool of leather filled with shot (or similar), resembling the weapon, used for shaping sheet metal.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: aeronautics, aerospace, aviation, business, engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

Any of several species of weed of genus Bidens, such as Bidens pilosa, in the family Compositae.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

Ellipsis of blackjack oak.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

Any of a series of hard, dark soils, often considered low quality, but suitable for growing certain crops such as cotton.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

Ammonium bituminosulfonate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Australia, UK, countable, rare, uncountable

Topics: medicine, pharmacology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

noun

Meaning 12

A fan of the South Korean girl group 2NE1.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: slang

Topics: lifestyle

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

verb

Meaning 13

To strike with a blackjack or similar weapon.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

noun

Meaning 14

a gambling game using cards; the object is to hold cards having a higher count than those dealt to the banker up to but not exceeding 21

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: twenty-one, vingt-et-un

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: card game, cards

15

noun

Meaning 15

a flag usually bearing a white skull and crossbones on a black background; indicates a pirate ship

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: black flag, pirate flag, Jolly Roger

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: flag

16

noun

Meaning 16

a piece of metal covered by leather with a flexible handle; used for hitting people

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cosh, sap

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: bludgeon

17

noun

Meaning 17

a common scrubby deciduous tree of central and southeastern United States having dark bark and broad three-lobed (club-shaped) leaves; tends to form dense thickets

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: blackjack oak, jack oak, Quercus marilandica

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: scrub oak

18

verb

Meaning 18

exert pressure on someone through threats

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: blackmail, pressure

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: influence, act upon, work

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *blakaz Proto-West Germanic *blak Old English blæc Middle English blak English black English jack English blackjack From black + jack.

From the card game blackjack, also called twenty-one, which is one of two pronunciations of 2NE1's name (the other being "to anyone").

Across languages

Translations

39 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: блекджек (blekdžek) — card game (the game where the aim is to score as close to twenty-one as possible without going over that amount)
  • Chinese Cantonese: 廿一點 /廿一点 (jaa6 jat1 dim2) — card game (the game where the aim is to score as close to twenty-one as possible without going over that amount)
  • Chinese Mandarin: 二十一點 /二十一点 (èrshíyī diǎn) — card game (the game where the aim is to score as close to twenty-one as possible without going over that amount)
  • Dutch: eenentwintigen — card game (the game where the aim is to score as close to twenty-one as possible without going over that amount)
  • Finnish: blackjack — card game (the game where the aim is to score as close to twenty-one as possible without going over that amount)
  • French: vingt-et-un — card game (the game where the aim is to score as close to twenty-one as possible without going over that amount)
  • Galician: bandeira pirata — card game (the game where the aim is to score as close to twenty-one as possible without going over that amount)
  • Galician: vinte e un — card game (the game where the aim is to score as close to twenty-one as possible without going over that amount)
  • German: Blackjack — card game (the game where the aim is to score as close to twenty-one as possible without going over that amount)
  • German: Einundzwanzig — card game (the game where the aim is to score as close to twenty-one as possible without going over that amount)
  • German: Siebzehn und Vier — card game (the game where the aim is to score as close to twenty-one as possible without going over that amount)
  • Indonesian: selikuran — card game (the game where the aim is to score as close to twenty-one as possible without going over that amount)
  • Japanese: ブラックジャック (burakkujakku) — card game (the game where the aim is to score as close to twenty-one as possible without going over that amount)
  • Korean: 블랙잭 (beullaekjaek) — card game (the game where the aim is to score as close to twenty-one as possible without going over that amount)
  • Marathi: ब्लॅकजॅक (blĕkjĕk) — card game (the game where the aim is to score as close to twenty-one as possible without going over that amount)
  • Polish: blackjack — card game (the game where the aim is to score as close to twenty-one as possible without going over that amount)
  • Portuguese: vinte e um — card game (the game where the aim is to score as close to twenty-one as possible without going over that amount)
  • Portuguese: vinte-e-um — card game (the game where the aim is to score as close to twenty-one as possible without going over that amount)
  • Russian: блэкдже́к (blɛkdžék) — card game (the game where the aim is to score as close to twenty-one as possible without going over that amount)
  • Russian: два́дцать одно́ (dvádcatʹ odnó) — card game (the game where the aim is to score as close to twenty-one as possible without going over that amount)
  • Russian: очко́ (očkó) — card game (the game where the aim is to score as close to twenty-one as possible without going over that amount)
  • Spanish: veintiuna — card game (the game where the aim is to score as close to twenty-one as possible without going over that amount)
  • Bulgarian: блекджек (blekdžek) — hand
  • Finnish: blackjack — hand
  • Marathi: ब्लॅकजॅक (blĕkjĕk) — hand
  • Bulgarian: пиратско знаме (piratsko zname) — flag
  • Dutch: piratenvlag — flag
  • Finnish: merirosvolippu — flag
  • French: pavillon de pirates — flag
  • Galician: bandeira pirata — flag
  • Spanish: bandera pirata — flag
  • Bulgarian: палка (palka) — weapon
  • Dutch: ploertendoder — weapon
  • Finnish: tainnutuspistooli — weapon
  • French: matraque — weapon
  • German: Totschläger — weapon
  • Irish: smachtín — weapon
  • Finnish: rusokki — weed
  • Kikuyu: mũcege — weed
Real reading context

blackjack in complete knowledge articles