Mahjong

/ˌmɑˈdʒɔŋ/ noun

Definition

A traditional Chinese game played with 144 tiles that involves strategy, skill, and a little bit of luck.

Etymology

From Mandarin Chinese 'má jiàng,' possibly from 'ma' (hemp) + 'jiàng' (general, from the game of war). The game developed in China in the 1800s.

Kelly Says

Mahjong became a craze among American women in the 1920s—it was one of the few games that let women gather socially without men, which made it simultaneously fashionable and controversial in conservative communities.

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