Definitions

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

  • noun A poor or amateurish chess player.

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

  • noun chess, slang A poor player; an amateur.

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

  • noun a poor chess player

Etymologies

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

[Probably from German, bungler, from patzen, to bungle.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Origin uncertain; perhaps from German Patzer.

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Examples

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  • The old man advised, “As to that sir,

    If your aim is to be a true master –

    Though timid and tame

    May win the odd game

    Be bold or be always a patzer.”

    February 10, 2014