New to solitaire or just encountered a term you do not recognize? This complete glossary covers every common solitaire term — from basics like "tableau" and "foundation" to advanced concepts like "supermove" and "autoplay."
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Play Free Solitaire →Core Layout Terms
- Tableau: The main playing area where cards are arranged in columns. Most gameplay happens in the tableau.
- Foundation: The four piles (one per suit) where you build cards from Ace to King. Getting all cards to the foundations is the goal.
- Stock (or Deck): The pile of face-down cards you draw from during the game. Not all solitaire games have a stock.
- Waste Pile (or Talon): The pile where stock cards go after being drawn. Usually only the top card is playable.
- Free Cell: A temporary holding space for a single card, used in FreeCell and related games.
- Column: A vertical stack of cards in the tableau.
- Sequence: A group of cards in consecutive rank order that can be moved as a unit.
Card State Terms
- Face-up: A card showing its face (rank and suit visible).
- Face-down: A card showing its back only. Cannot be moved or played.
- Buried: A card covered by other cards in the tableau. Must be uncovered before it can be used.
- Exposed: A card whose face is visible and accessible for play.
- Available: A card that can be legally moved according to the game rules.
Gameplay Terms
- Supermove: In FreeCell, moving a group of cards by using free cells as temporary staging. Maximum group size = (free cells + 1) × 2^(empty columns).
- Redeal: Reshuffle and redeal the waste pile as a new stock. Some games allow multiple redeals.
- Autoplay: Automatic movement of eligible cards to the foundation. Most digital solitaire games offer this.
- Dead end: A card that cannot have any lower-ranked card placed on it (Kings in Golf Solitaire).
- Empty column: A tableau column with no cards. Valuable workspace in most solitaire games.
- Beak (Penguin): The first card dealt in Penguin Solitaire, which seeds all four foundations.
- Wrap: Foundation building that wraps around the rank order (e.g., K→A→2 in Four Seasons/Penguin).
- Alternating colors: Tableau rule requiring cards to alternate between red and black suits when stacking.
- Same suit: Tableau rule requiring cards to be the same suit when stacking (Baker's Game, Spider).
- Patience: British/European term for solitaire card games.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the tableau in solitaire?
The tableau is the main playing area of a solitaire game — the columns of cards where most of the gameplay action happens. It is distinct from the stock, waste pile, free cells, and foundations.
What is a foundation in solitaire?
Foundations are the four piles (one per suit) where you build cards from Ace up to King. Moving all 52 cards to the four foundations is the standard win condition in most solitaire games.
What is the stock in solitaire?
The stock (also called the deck or hand) is a face-down pile of cards that you draw from during the game. Not all solitaire games have a stock — FreeCell and Yukon deal all cards to the tableau at the start.
What does "patience" mean in card games?
"Patience" is the British and European term for solitaire card games. It refers to the patience required to play these solo card games. The terms are interchangeable.
What is a supermove in FreeCell?
A supermove is moving a sequence of cards in FreeCell by using free cells as temporary staging posts. The formula for maximum group size is (free cells + 1) × 2^(empty columns).