chemin de fer

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See also: chemin-de-fer

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from French chemin de fer (literally railway), from being a faster variant of baccarat.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ʃəˌmæ̃ də ˈfɛə/
  • (file)

Noun

chemin de fer (uncountable)

  1. A card game, a variation of baccarat.
    • 1953, Ian Fleming, chapter 4, in Casino Royale, page 23:
      Bond had spent the last two afternoons and most of the nights at the Casino, playing complicated progression systems on the even chances at roulette. He made a high banco at chemin-de-fer whenever he heard one offered.
    • 2005, Mark Zegarelli, Poker Logic Puzzles, →ISBN, page 73:
      The person who left at 1:00 is either Alice or the woman who played chemin de fer (9), so in either case she is a woman.
    • 2006, Thomas Pynchon, Against the Day, Vintage, published 2007, pages 603–4:
      “Come on,” Kit motioning her with his head over to a chemin-de-fer table

French

Etymology

Literally, “iron way.” Compare German Eisenbahn, Italian ferrovia.

Pronunciation

Noun

chemin de fer m (plural chemins de fer)

  1. railroad, railway
    Synonyms: voie ferrée, railway
  2. (card games) chemin de fer

Descendants

See also

Further reading

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French chemin de fer (railway).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ʃɵˌmen dɵ ˈfer/

Noun

chemin de fer n (uncountable)

  1. chemin de fer (a card game)