Briscola
/ˈbrɪskələ/noun
An Italian trick-taking card game in which players try to win valuable cards and the final hand.
Did you know?Briscola’s defining feature is the trump suit, traditionally revealed from the deck and given power over ordinary cards—an echo of how a single hidden symbol can reorder the entire game.
Etymological Timeline
16th–17th Century
Spanish
brisca
“A card game; the probable Spanish form behind the Italian name.”
17th Century
French
brisque
“A card-game term associated with scoring or valuable cards; often proposed as an intermediary.”
17th–18th Century
Italian
briscola
“The name of the Italian trick-taking card game.”
Modern English
English
briscola
“An Italian card game played with a trump suit.”
Explore more surprising origins