pakapoo
/ˈpakəpuː
/ /ˌpakəˈpuː /(also pakapu)
noun [mass noun] Australian /NZ
A Chinese form of lottery played with slips of paper marked with columns of characters: he loses the earnings playing pakapoo [as modifier]: pakapoo dens...
- Pakapoo was enormously popular among Chinese in colonial New Zealand.
- He steals her bracelet to gamble on the new Chinese game, Pakapoo.
- Instruments for playing pakapoo were found upon the premises.
Origin
Early 20th century: from Chinese pai ko p'iao, literally 'white pigeon ticket', perhaps originally referring to a Cantonese competition in which a white pigeon was trained to choose the winning ticket.