Cinque

/sɪŋk/ noun

Definition

The number five, or a playing card or die showing five spots, used in games and gambling.

Etymology

From Old French cinq, from Latin quinque (five). Entered English in the 15th century through gaming and card-playing terminology, remaining especially common in dice games.

Kelly Says

Cinque is why we still say 'snake eyes' for two dice—it's an English-French hybrid from Medieval gaming, and the old gaming vocabulary survives in modern casinos.

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