rock paper scissors

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

After the handshapes, as a calque of Japanese じゃんけんぽん (jankenpon).

Noun

rock paper scissors (uncountable)

  1. (games) A popular children's game using three hand signs representing rock, paper and scissors, frequently used as a tiebreaker.
    Synonyms: paper scissors stone, scissors paper rock, scissors paper stone, janken, roshambo, rochambeau, row-sham-bow, roe-sham-boe
  2. (by extension) Any situation where strategies are not transitive, meaning each strategy is strong against some strategies and weak against others in a loop such that there is no universally best option.

Derived terms

Translations

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