faro

[ fair-oh ]

nounCards.
  1. a gambling game in which players place bets on a special board or layout, betting on each series of two cards as they are drawn from a box containing the dealer's or banker's pack.

Origin of faro

1
1725–35; spelling variant of Pharaoh (compare Italian faraone,French pharaon), alleged to be originally a designation for the king of hearts in the game. See Pharaoh

Words Nearby faro

Other definitions for Faro (2 of 2)

Faro
[ fah-roo ]

noun
  1. a seaport in S Portugal.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use faro in a sentence

  • Somewhat confused by this humiliating avowal, Madame Bodard returned to her place at a faro-table.

    Catherine de' Medici | Honore de Balzac
  • Fox and other gamesters of the wild time supplemented the faro-bank by betting at Newmarket.

  • Mrs. Berlinton's house opened, failed not to be filled; and opened for a faro table, to be filled with a peculiar set.

    Camilla | Fanny Burney
  • When the South laid down the fugitive slave bill, on the national faro-table, Mr. Webster bet his all upon that card.

  • The faro Table was now re-opened, and again but too powerfully sharpened the faculties which mortification had blunted.

    Camilla | Fanny Burney

British Dictionary definitions for faro (1 of 2)

faro

/ (ˈfɛərəʊ) /


noun
  1. a gambling game in which players bet against the dealer on what cards he will turn up

Origin of faro

1
C18: probably spelling variant of Pharaoh

British Dictionary definitions for Faro (2 of 2)

Faro

/ (ˈfɑːrəʊ) /


noun
  1. a port and resort in S Portugal: destroyed by earthquakes in 1722 and 1755. Pop: 58 051 (2001)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012