Glossary of tables game terms


The following is a glossary of terms used in tables games, essentially games played on a Backgammon-type [|board]. Terms in this glossary should not be game-specific, but applicable to a range of tables games.

A

; ace
  1. A [|die] [|roll] of one.
  2. The face of a die with one pip:.
; ace [|point]

B

; backgammon
; bar
; bear off
; bearing table
; block
; [|blockade]
; [|blot]
; board
  1. The whole playing area, traditionally a hinged, wooden tray.
  2. Same as [|quadrant]. Thus there are four boards. In Backgammon and similar games, there is a home board and [|outer board] on each player's side.
; break a point
; builder

C

; cast
  1. The number [|rolled] on a die or [|dice].
  2. To throw or roll the die or dice.
; checker
; cinque
  1. A die roll of five
  2. The face of a die with five pips:.
; closed point, closed [|space]
  1. Usually, a point or space that is occupied by two or more opposing [|men].
  2. In some games, a point or space that is occupied by exactly two opposing men. See Nard.
; cocked die
; come in, come on
; contrary movement
; corner rattler, hornaskella
; counter
; cover a blot
; cup

D

; dice cup
; die, dice
; division
; doubles
; doublet
  • doublet of Aces: bezas, bezet;
  • doublet of 2: double two ;
  • doublet of 3: ternes;
  • doublet of 4: carmes;
  • doublet of 5: quines;
  • doublet of 6: sonnez.
; doubling cube, doubling die

E

; enter
; expose a blot, expose a point
; exposed

G

; gammon

H

; hit
  1. In [|hitting games], to force an isolated opposing [|piece] off the board by moving a piece to the point concerned e.g. as in Backgammon. Also 'knock off'.
  2. To score [|points] by being in a position to move a piece to a point on which an isolated opposing piece is located e.g. as in Trictrac.
; hit and run, hit-and-run
; hitting game
; home
  1. noun. The first point on a player's side.
  2. noun. The starting or finishing point.
  3. adverb. To the player's first six points.
  4. To play at home. To play one's [|pieces] in one's first twelve points.
; home board, home table
; home point
; homewards

I

; inner board, inner table

K

; knock off

M

; march
; man, men
; move

O

; off the board
; open point, open space
  1. Usually, a point or space that is not occupied by two or more opposing men.
  2. In some games, point or space that is not occupied by exactly two men. See Nard.
; opening roll
; outer board, outer table

P

; parallel movement
; piece
; pile
  1. A [|stack] of two or more men on a point.
  2. To place men one on top of another.
; pin, pinning, pinning a blot
; pinning game
; [|pip], [|pips]
; play
; point, make a point, make the point
  1. Any one of the triangular spaces on a tables board.
  2. To make a point is to establish two or more men on it such that it cannot be captured.
; prime
  1. A succession of [|blocked] points, normally points held by at least two opposing men. Also blockade.
  2. A succession of six points so occupied. Also side prime.

    Q

; quadrant
; quarter

R

; rail
; re-enter
; rest
; roll the die, roll the dice
; running game

S

; setting the men
; side prime
; singleton
; space
; stack
  1. To place men one on top of one another. Also pile.
  2. A heap of men so placed. Also pile.
; stone

T

; table
  1. Same as quadrant. One of the four divisions of the board.
  2. Sometimes used to describe each half of the board.
; tableman, tablemen, table-man, table-men
; Tables board
; Tables game
; talon
; throw
  1. Same as roll when referring to dice.
  2. Throw off. Same as bear off.
; trictrac, Trictrac board
; triplet

U

; uncover a blot, uncover a point

Literature

  • Bell, R. C.. Board and Table Games from Many Civilizations. NY: Dover.
  • Clay, Robin A.. Backgammon. London: Hodder.
  • Crane, Michael. Backgammon. London: Teach Yourself.
  • Forgeng, Jeff, Dorothy Johnston and David Cram. Francis Willughby's Book of Games. Ashgate Press..
  • Halliwell-Phillips, James Orchard. A Dictionary of Archaic & Provincial Words, Obsolete Phrases, Proverbs and Ancient Customs, Volume 2. London: John Russell Smith.
  • Jacoby, Oswald and John R. Crawford. . NY: Vikong.
  • Longacre, John. Backgammon of Today. NY: Bell.
  • Murray, H. J. R.. "“The Mediaeval Games of Tables" in Medium Aevum, Vol. 10, ed. by Charles Talbot Onions. Society for the Study of Mediæval Languages and Literature. pp. 57-69.
  • Obolensky, Prince Alexis and Ted James. . London: Star.
  • Singman, Jeffrey L.. Daily Life in Medieval Europe. Westport: Greenwood.