kayles

English

Etymology

From Middle English keyles, plural of Middle English keyle (see Dutch kegel, German Kegel, Danish kegle, and Swedish kegla).

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -eɪlz

Noun

kayles (uncountable)

1. (uncountable, obsolete or dialect) The game of skittles or ninepins.
   • 1971, Gwen White, Antique Toys And Their Background, page 239:

     Playing kayles, i.e. throwing a stick at ninepins, at Smithfield, 13th century.

2. (uncountable, game theory) A simple impartial game in combinatorial game theory, in which players take turns to knock out one pin or two adjacent pins from a line of imagined bowling pins.

Alternative forms

• (game of skittles): kails

Noun

kayles

1. plural of kayle

Anagrams

• Kaleys, Kelsay, Lakeys, Laskey