banco

[ bang-koh, bahng- ]

noun

, plural ban·cos.

1. a declaration made by a bettor in certain gambling games, as baccarat and chemin de fer, indicating a bet matching the full amount in the bank, to the exclusion of all previous lower bets: often used as an interjection.

verb (used without object)

1. to make such a declaration.

banco

/ ˈbæŋkəʊ /

interjection

1. a call in gambling games such as chemin de fer and baccarat by a player or bystander who wishes to bet against the entire bank

Word History and Origins

Origin of banco¹

1745–55; < French < Italian < Germanic; bank ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of banco¹

C18: from French from Italian: bank

Example Sentences

Platshorn and his crew was the first bust by Operation Banco, as the joint task force was known.

From The Daily Beast

Citibank restructured the Banco Hipotecário, and paid back the $43 million loan four years before it was due.

From The Daily Beast

It began harmlessly enough, with a call from the manager of Banco Bilbao in Malaga, who asked Schiller to stop by.

From The Daily Beast

The wretched young man persistently exercises his right of crying "Banco," and so practically going double or quits each time.

From Project Gutenberg

In 1904 the position of the “Banco Español-Filipino” (vide p. 258) was officially discussed.

From Project Gutenberg

Nanni di Banco, Vasari tells us, was a man who "inherited a competent patrimony, and one by no means of inferior condition."

From Project Gutenberg

The Banco Nacional was founded and the public credit, which had fallen very low, was speedily restored.

From Project Gutenberg

The horse-headed Englishman cried "banco," which means that he would play the banker for the whole amount.

From Project Gutenberg