a card game for two to six players who seek to amass points by declaring sets of cards
2. Also called: meld
a declared set in this game, containing seven or more like cards, worth 500 points if the canasta is pure or 300 if wild (containing up to three jokers)
Word origin
C20: from Spanish: basket (because two packs, or a basketful, of cards are required),variant of canastro, from Latin canistrum; see canister
canasta in American English
(kəˈnæstə)
noun
a card game, a variation of rummy, usually for two or four players, using a double deck of cards and four jokers
Word origin
Sp, basket < canasto, contr. < canastro < Gr kanastron: see canister