Definition

1. Noun:
   • A specific variant of the card game bridge: "contract bridge" refers to a particular form of the game where the declarer's score towards winning a game is based on fulfilling the exact number of tricks they bid during the auction.

Usage

• Noun:
  • Contract bridge is the most popular form of bridge played in clubs and tournaments worldwide.
  • Learning the strategies of contract bridge can take many years of practice.

Advanced Usage

• "to play a hand of contract bridge": to participate in one deal of the game.
  • They sat down to play a hand of contract bridge after dinner.

Variants and Related Words

• Bridge (n): the general family of trick-taking card games for four players, of which contract bridge is one type.

  • Several forms of bridge, like auction bridge and contract bridge, have been popular over the years.

• Declarer (n): in contract bridge, the player who, after the auction, attempts to make the contract.

• Bid (n/v): in contract bridge, a statement during the auction specifying a number of tricks and a trump suit (or no trump).

Synonyms

• Duplicate bridge: A common tournament form of contract bridge where the same deals are played by different pairs.
• Rubber bridge: A social form of contract bridge where points are scored towards winning a rubber (a series of games).

Related Phrases

• To bid a contract: to make a bid specifying the number of tricks one's partnership commits to taking.

  • She decided to bid a contract of three spades.

• To make (or fulfill) a contract: to succeed in taking at least the number of tricks bid.

  • He needed to win ten tricks to make his contract.

Idioms

• A bridge contract: This phrase specifically refers to the commitment made by the declaring side in contract bridge.
  • Their bridge contract was for four hearts, which they successfully made.

Noun

1. a variety of bridge in which the bidder receives points toward game only for the number of tricks he bid