canasta n.

1945, Uruguayan card game played with two decks and four jokers, popular 1945-c. 1965; from Spanish, literally "basket," from Latin canistrum (see canister). In the game a canasta is seven cards of the same rank, giving the player a large bonus. A Spanish card-playing term for building up a meld was tejiendo las cartas, literally "weaving the cards," hence perhaps the name is based on the image of a woven "basket."