klaberjas, noun

/ˈklabə(r)jas/
Forms:
klabbejas, klabberjasShow more Also klabbejas, klabberjas, klabejas, klaberjaas, klaberjass, klabjas, klaverjas, klawerjas.
Origin:
Afrikaans, Dutch, British English, GermanShow more Either Afrikaans, from Dutch klaverjas, klaver club + jas knave of trumps; or from British English klobbiyos adaptation of German klaberjass (OED), from Dutch.
A type of piquet in which the knave of clubs is the highest card, and all knaves are trumps. Also attributive.
1925 H.J. Mandelbrote tr. of O.F. Mentzel’s Descr. of Cape of G.H. 105Sometimes an invitation follows to take a hand at L’Ombre or Gravejas. [Source Note: Probably from ‘Klavernaas’, known in Afrikaans as ‘Klawerjas’.]
1954 A. Segal Jhb. Friday 232He cupped both hands over his mouth and shouted..‘Klabberjas! Klabberjas!’...‘As you say, as you say,’ he shouted in his turn, falling into a chair with the enthusiasm of the card lover.
1955 V. De Kock Fun They Had 59Card-Playing, it seems, has always been an important feature in our social life...L’ombre, whist, quadrille, piquet, lanterloo, klawerjas..these were all popular in their turn.
1972 E. Prov. Herald 10 Feb. 11Players of Klabberjas will tell you (as will bridge players of their game) that it is the only card game...In the bistros of Paris they call it ‘Belotte’, the Dutch call it ‘Klaviarsz’ and in South Africa it’s often called just ‘Klabjas’.
1974 E. Prov. Herald 18 July 3The Eastern Province Klaberjaas championships..Klaberjaas is..similar to bridge or German whist, and is believed to have originated in Holland. It is usually played by four people, playing in two pairs.
1980 Daily Dispatch 5 July 3Klaberjass, a card game many centuries old, is played in one form or another all over the world...Its origins are believed to be Flemish or Dutch and the word klaberjass refers to the Jack of clubs — the most valuable card in the pack.
1980 Sunday Times 26 Oct. 7Our favourite game was four-hand klabberjas at tournaments.
1989 F.G. Butler Tales from Old Karoo 39Long after the rest were snoring, they’d play klabejas by storm lantern.
1990 Weekend Argus 24 Nov. (Business) 10Klabbejas competition. Sunday 9.12.90. Great prizes.
A type of piquet in which the knave of clubs is the highest card, and all knaves are trumps. Also attributive.
Entry Navigation

Visualise Quotations

Quotation summary

Senses

19251990

Browse Related Words

By Category

Sport and Leisure

By Origin

Afrikaans
Dutch
Klaas’s cuckoo, noun phrasen. phr.klap, nounn.1
Copyright © 2025 Dictionary Unit for South African English