Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An ancient game of India similar to backgammon that uses cowrie shells instead of dice.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A game of Hindu origin, resembling backgammon, played by four persons.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A game, somewhat resembling backgammon, originating in India.
  • noun U. S. & Eng. A game adopted from the Indian game, using disks, as of pasteboard, and dice; it is played on a cross-shaped board.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An ancient Indian board game in which players, throwing dice, shells, etc. to determine the distance of each move, attempt to be the first to take all of their counters around the board.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun an ancient board game resembling backgammon; played on a cross-shaped board

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Hindi pacīsī, from pacīs, twenty-five : Sanskrit pañca, five; see penkwe in Indo-European roots + Sanskrit viṁśatiḥ, twenty; see wīkm̥tī- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Hindi pachis twenty-five, the largest score that can be thrown with the cowrie shells.

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Examples

  • The game of the Hindoos, called pachisi, is played upon a cross-shaped board or cloth; it is a combination of checkers and draughts, with the throwing of dice, the dice determining the number of moves; when the Spaniards entered Mexico they found the Aztecs playing a game called patolli, identical with the Hindoo pachisi, on a similar cross-shaped board.

    Atlantis : the antediluvian world Ignatius Donnelly 1866

  • In this regard, they were quite unlike the prevailing 'mass market' boardgames published by companies like Parker, Milton Bradley, and Kenner, which mostly slapped marketable themes on top of proven mechanics the track game, pachisi variants, peg solitaire, etc.

    When do Themes Collide? 2004

  • In the court a portion of the marble pavement is made to represent a pachisi or chess board, and it is said the game was played with slave girls, who were used instead of the customary chessmen.

    Travels in the Far East Ellen Mary Hayes Peck

  • Near the recreation building is the famous pachisi or chess board, similar to the one at Agra, where Akbar and his vizier, sitting opposite, marshalled the slave girls to and fro.

    Travels in the Far East Ellen Mary Hayes Peck

  • Xoa had come in from the kitchen and was setting out a small table on which the pachisi board was ready for the evening's regular recreation.

    When Egypt Went Broke Holman Day 1900

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    Wii-volution 2010

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    Wii-volution 2010

  • In 6th high school boys circle jerk it was originated in india by pachisi.

    Wii-volution 2010

  • The pachisi board, like I said, takes the idea of the polis but to the global scale.

    Chapati Mystery sepoy 2010

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    Rational Review 2009

Comments

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  • I haven't played this as I've never had enough slave girls :-(

    February 8, 2016