nine men's morris

Popularly claimed to ultimately be from Latin merellus (“gamepiece (incl. in draughts), token, etc.”); a possible connection has also been linked to French marelle (“hopscotch”).^[1][2]

nine men's morris (uncountable)

1. An ancient strategic board game for two players, each having nine pieces, and in which forming a row of three of one's own pieces earns the removal of one of the other player's pieces.
   • c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page 149:

     The nine mens Morris is fild vp with mud, / And the queint Mazes in the wanton greene,

• twelve men's morris

• nine men's morris on Wikipedia.Wikipedia