baccara

See also: baccarà

English

Alternative forms

• baccarat

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbæk.əˌɹæ/

Noun

baccara (uncountable)

1. A French game of cards, played by a banker and punters.

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French

Etymology

Likely named after the French town Baccarat (noted for glassmaking) in Grand Est, of ultimately unclear and debated origin [1291?]. If by some Vulgar Latin *Bacchara, the town is possibly named from Latin Bacchi ara ("altar of Bacchus"; the original pagan reference of the name was forgotten), name of an ancient Roman castellum, of which there remains a relic called the "Tower of Bacha" on the heights of Deneuvre, from whence Baccarat is an ancient suburb. Other hypotheses have also been suggested, including descent from Celtic.

Probably linked to Provençal baccara, although if the town etymology is correct, this may present some geographic difficulty.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

baccara m (uncountable)

1. baccarat (card game)

Further reading

• “baccara”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

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Italian

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin baccaris, from Ancient Greek βάκκαρις (bákkaris, “clary”), a word borrowed from Lydian.

Noun

baccara f (plural baccare)

1. wild ginger

Synonyms

• asaro