trump [E16th] The word trump, ‘a playing card of the suit chosen to rank above the others’, is an alteration of triumph, which was once used in the same sense. The Latin source of triumph [LME] triumphus probably came from Greek thriambos ‘hymn to the god Bacchus’. In ancient Rome a triumph was the grand entry of a victorious general into the city. In some card games the trump suit is chosen before each game, while in others it is the suit of the last card dealt, which is turned over to show its face. This gives rise to the phrases come or turn up trumps [L16th], ‘to produce a better outcome than expected’, reinforced by the fact that a hand with many trump cards is likely to be a winning hand. In the expression the last trump [LME], trump is a form of trumpet [ME]. The instrument had strong military associations and comes ultimately from the same source as trump. Officers making public announcements would sometimes blow a blast on a trumpet to get people’s attention, hence to blow (or sound) your own trumpet [L16th] ‘to boast’. Trombone [E18] is based on Italian tromba ‘trumpet’.