Poker face is an idiom that first appeared in the 1870s. An idiom is a word, group of words or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is not easily deduced from its literal definition. We will examine the definition of the expression poker face, where it came from and some examples of its use in sentences. A poker face is a facial expression that does not show any emotion, a facial expression that hides one’s feelings by appearing blank or neutral. Poker face A blank, emotionless expression that gives no indication of one's thoughts or intentions. Poker players use such an expression so as not to give their opponents any clues about which cards they are holding. I kept looking over to see if she was impressed, but she wore a poker face throughout the performance.
noun
an expressionless face: He can tell a funny story with a poker face.
Poker Face Meaning Idiom
a person who has or deliberately assumes a poker face: It is impossible to tell what that poker face is really thinking.
QUIZZES
CAN YOU IDENTIFY LITERATURE’S FAMOUS OPENING LINES?
The opening line of any book should say, in the words of Stephen King, “Listen. Come in here. You want to know about this.” Right? So intriguing! But, alas, that is not how books begin. So, how well do you know the actual opening lines from some of literature's greatest novels? Correctly match these memorable openers with their works of fiction and consider yourself an excellent listener!
“If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.”
Origin ofpoker face
OTHER WORDS FROM poker face
poker-faced,adjective
Words nearby poker face
pokelogan, Pokémon, poke one's nose into, poker, poker dice, poker face, poker-faced, poker machine, poker spine, pokerwork, pokeweed
Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Words related to poker face
deadpan, mask, seriousness, straight face, impassivity, inscrutability
British Dictionary definitions forpoker face
noun
informala face without expression, as that of a poker player attempting to conceal the value of his cards
Poker Face Idiom Meaning
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Idioms and Phrases withpoker face
A visage lacking any expression that can be interpreted, as in Whenever Betty attended one of her children's performances, she managed to keep a poker face. This term alludes to the facial expression of a poker player who is expert at concealing his feelings about his hand. [c. 1880]
Wore A Poker Face Idiom Meaning
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
