cardsharp

Definitions

A professional cheater at card games.

Equivalents

10 more languages

Bosanskibaro

Ελληνικάχαρτοκλέφτης

Suomikorttihaikorttihuijari

Hrvatskibaro

Italianobaro

Kurdîbaro

Polskiszuler

Русскийжуликкаталашулер

Српскиbaro

Svenskafalskspelare

Examples

“One of Tim’s great-grandparents was a cardsharp in the Wild West, and was shot dead during a game.”

“While thus running on, the knavish card-sharp was slowly, and with apparent fairness, cutting the pack⟳, which was prepared by having every card but the honours of each suit⟳ cut⟳ at the ends, in so slight a degree, however, as not to shorten them enough to be detectible by an ordinary eye, though sufficiently to be felt by a fine and practised finger, which could thus ensure a court-card, while the red cards of the pack⟳ (or deck of cards, as they were then commonly called) were deprived of their proper size by a similar process⟳ of shaving off the sides, so as to make⟳ the turn-up either red or black at will of the player.”

“'Why Moses,' said Satan, 'nor Angels nor sinners / Can live⟳ without eating; let's go to our dinners; / Men who play⟳ at old sledge cannot both be the winners; / The card-sharps, you know⟳, lose⟳ the dimes to beginners; […]'”

“Whenever we used to want⟳ to take⟳ a rise⟳ out o' Bill after, we only had to ax him if he'd seen any more card sharps, and he'd get⟳ as mad as a hatter.”

“In hilly country sheep will sometimes get⟳ lost in small bands. [...] Should they prove⟳ unmanageable, refusing to travel⟳, or running off from you, the adroit shepherd will practice against them a "string game" quite as effective as that the card sharp plays on the over-confident rustic. Catch⟳ the leader, or the whole party of rebels, and tie around one of the hind legs just above the hock joint, a piece of stout string— [...]”

“The cleverest card[-]sharp we ever saw⟳—outside of good society—was a Greek by country as well as by profession; but all the money he picked up in the by-ways of the sporting world went at the hazard-table, and the poor rogue often wanted a dinner.”

“You'd been running with a gang of card-sharps when I picked you up, and the police were waiting their chance to gaol you.”

“When the businessmen quit⟳, there had been two other men eager to take⟳ their chairs. The ranchers were somewhat leery about allowing strangers to join⟳ their game. They had been suckered in by a slick cardsharp once and had learned a lesson that still galled them whenever they were reminded of it.”

“The cardsharp asked, ‘Now who wants to make⟳ a bet⟳?’ The wise guy said, ‘I’ll make⟳ a bet⟳. You stacked the cards. I’ll bet⟳ you twenty bucks you hold⟳ three aces.’ The cardsharp said, ‘You’re on, buddy. And you’re dead wrong.’”

CEFR level