trucks Obs. exc. Hist.
(trʌks)
Also (? erron.) 7–8 truck.
[ad. It. trucco (see below), Sp. troco.]
An early form of billiards, in which an upright mark called the king was placed near one end of the table. Cf. troll-madam and trunk n. 16.
| [Cf. 1598 Florio, Truccare,..to play at billiards. Trucco, a kinde of play with balles vpon a table called billiards, but properly a kinde of game vsed in England with casting little bowles at a boord with thirteene holes in it.] |
| 1671 Skinner Etymol., Truck, Biliers or Biliards. 1674 Cotton (title) The Compleat Gamester: or, Instructions how to play at Billiards, Trucks, Bowls, and Chess. 1688 R. Holme Armoury iii. 263/1 Truck, is an Italian Game, and is not very unlike Billiards, the Table..hath 3 holes at each end, besides the corner holes. 1736 Ainsworth Lat. Dict., Truck (the play), ludus tudicularis. 1801 Strutt Sports & Past. iv. i. §16 The Italian method of playing, known in England by the name of Trucks,..had its king at one end of the table. |