Minibridge vocabulary

Balanced hand One with a relatively equal number of cards in each suit. No void or singleton, not more than one doubleton.
Board The container which holds a deal and shows who is dealer. Sometimes called a wallet.
Bonus Extra points for making a contract, The part score bonus is 50 points and game bonus is 300 points.
Cash To play a winning card or cards. To ‘cash out’ is to take all your winning cards.
Claim When the play is clear-cut, declarer may show his/her hand, claiming a stated number of tricks.
Contract The announcement by declarer of the denomination (trump suit or no trumps) for this deal and the target number of tricks to be won by the declaring side.
Deal Fifty-two cards distributed so each player has thirteen cards.
Dealer The player who announces points first on a deal. 
Declarer The player on the side winning the contract who has the most points, or who announced points first. Declarer has responsibility for playing both his/her hand and dummy.
Defeat the contract To win, in defence, enough tricks so that declarer fails to make the contract.
Defenders score 50 points for each undertrick.
Defence The line of play adopted by the defenders.
Defenders The two players in opposition to declarer. Often referred to as LHO (left-hand opponent) and RHO (right-hand opponent).
Discarding Playing another suit (not trumps) when unable to play a card in the suit led, preferably throwing a card that gives helpful information to partner.
Doubleton A holding of two cards in a suit, often shown by either leading the higher or playing the higher one before the lower.
Drawing trumps Continuing to lead trumps until opponents have none left – this involves counting the cards played to make sure all opposition trumps have been drawn.
Ducking (hold-up) Deliberately withholding a high card which could have won a trick.
Dummy The hand of declarer’s partner which is placed up on the table.
Duplicate competition Where the result on each deal is determined by comparison with scores achieved by other pairs playing the same deal.
Duplication Duplication of distribution is when both players in a partnership have the same length in each suit. Duplication of values is when strong holdings in one hand are facing strong values in the same suit in partner’s hand, such as AQ opposite KJ.
Eight-card fit A combined holding of eight cards in a suit between the two hands of a partnership.
English Bridge Union The governing body for the game of duplicate bridge in England.
Establishing a suit To force out the high card held by the opponents and set up winners.
Fourth highest The lead in a suit of the fourth card from the top. e.g. the lead of the 6 from K J 9 6 4.
Game Contract whose trick score is 100 points or more
High card points Values given to high cards as follows: ace=4, king=3, queen=2, jack=1. There are 40 high card points (HCP) in the pack.
Honours The five highest cards in a suit (ace, king, queen, jack, ten).
Lead The first card played to a trick.
LHO Left-hand opponent.
Long suit A suit of four or more cards in the same hand.
Major suits Spades and Hearts whose tricks score 30 points each.
Minor suits Diamonds and Clubs whose tricks score 20 points each.
No trumps A contract played without trumps. Tricks in no trumps score 40 points for the first trick and 30 points for the next ones.
Opening lead The card led to the first trick.
Overtrick A trick made by declarer above the number required for the contract.
Pair The partnership of two players.
Part score A contract to take at least 7 tricks, but less than game.
Penalty Points scored by defenders when declarer fails to make a contract.
RHO Right-hand opponent.
Side suit Any suit other than trumps.
Singleton Holding of only one card in a particular suit.
Trick Four cards, one from each player, played in clockwise rotation.
Trump A card in the suit named as trumps by declarer.
Unbalanced hand Contains a void or singleton or two doubletons.
Void Holding no cards in a particular suit