Not a word game (5)
I believe the answer is:
whist
'game' is the definition.
(whist is a card game)
I don't understand the rest of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for whist that I've seen before include "18th-century card game, the forerunner of bridge" , "Tricky card game" , "calls for silence?" , "Demand silence" , "Card-game" .)