nine men's morris en · NOUN
Etymology
Popularly claimed to ultimately be from Latin merellus (“gamepiece (incl. in draughts), token, etc.”); a possible connection has also been linked to French marelle (“hopscotch”).
Meanings
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(uncountable) An ancient strategic board game for two players, each having nine pieces, and in which forming a row of three of one's own pieces earns the removal of one of the other player's pieces.
The nine mens Morris is fild vp with mud, / And the queint Mazes in the wanton greene,
c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], page 149:
Relateds
twelve men's morris · three men's morris
Translations (19)
is mylla (board game) · fi mylly (board game) · es molino (board game) · sv kvarn (board game) · ca marro de nou (board game) · nb mølle (board game) · es juego del molino (board game) · ro moară (board game) · de Mühle (board game) · sv kvarnspel (board game) · eu errota-joko (board game) · pl młynek (board game) · hu malom (board game) · it mulino (board game) · fr jeu du moulin (board game) · tr dokuztaş (board game) · ro țintar (board game) · nn mølle (board game) · it filetto (board game)