From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Joker \Jok"er\, n.
1. One who makes jokes or jests.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Card Playing) See {Best bower}, under 2d {Bower}.
[1913 Webster]
3. (Card Playing) An extra card usually included in a deck of
playing cards, having the same design as the others on the
back, but on the face having a picture of a jester. It is
not included in the deck used in most games, but in
certain games may be included and then takes on a special
value, such as the highest-valued card, or a wild card.
[PJC]
4. A clause placed in a document, such as a contract or a
piece of legislation, not itself appearing significant,
but in a subtle way substantially changing the effect of
the document.
[PJC]
5. Hence: Any fact or condition which is unknown or not
apparent, which reverses an apparently advantageous
position; a kicker.
[PJC]
6. A person; a fellow; a chap; -- usually used in a mildly
disparaging sense; as, who's the joker who left the ice
cream on the table?.
[PJC]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Bower \Bow"er\ (bou"[~e]r), n. [G. bauer a peasant. So called
from the figure sometimes used for the knave in cards. See
{Boor}.]
One of the two highest cards in the pack commonly used in the
game of euchre.
[1913 Webster]
{Right bower}, the knave of the trump suit, the highest card
(except the "Joker") in the game.
{Left bower}, the knave of the other suit of the same color
as the trump, being the next to the right bower in value.
{Best bower} or {Joker}, in some forms of euchre and some
other games, an extra card sometimes added to the pack,
which takes precedence of all others as the highest card.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
joker
n 1: a person who enjoys telling or playing jokes [syn: {joker},
{jokester}]
2: a person who does something thoughtless or annoying; "some
joker is blocking the driveway" [syn: {joker}, {turkey}]
3: an inconspicuous clause in a document or bill that affects
its meaning in a way that is not immediately apparent; "when
I demanded my money he showed me the joker in the contract"
4: a playing card that is usually printed with a picture of a
jester
From Dutch-English Freedict Dictionary ver. 0.1.3 [fd-nld-eng]:
joker /jokər/
wildcard
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