canasta

[ kuh-nas-tuh ]
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nounCards.
  1. a variety of rummy in which the main object is to meld sets of seven or more cards.

Origin of canasta

1
1945–50; <Spanish: literally, basket, apparently variant of canastro<Greek kánastron wicker basket (see canister)

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British Dictionary definitions for canasta

canasta

/ (kəˈnæstə) /


noun
  1. a card game for two to six players who seek to amass points by declaring sets of cards

  2. Also called: meld a declared set in this game, containing seven or more like cards, worth 500 points if the canasta is pure or 300 if wild (containing up to three jokers)

Origin of canasta

1
C20: from Spanish: basket (because two packs, or a basketful, of cards are required), variant of canastro, from Latin canistrum; see canister

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