1
2
cards plural in form but singular or plural in construction
a
: a game played with cards
b
: card playing
3
a
: something (such as an advantage) compared to a valuable playing card in one's hand
holding all the cards in negotiations
b
: an issue especially with emotional appeal that is brought into play to achieve a desired end (such as winning a political campaign)
played the race card
4
a
: greeting card
a birthday card
b
: a flat stiff usually small and rectangular piece of material (such as paper, cardboard, or plastic) usually bearing information: such as
(1)
: postcard
(2)
(3)
(4)
: one bearing a picture (as of a baseball player) on one side and usually statistical data on the other
(5)
: one on which computer information is stored (as in the form of punched holes or magnetic encoding)
(6)
: one bearing electronic circuit components for insertion into a larger electronic device (such as a computer)
(7)
c
: program
especially
: a sports program
three fights on the card
d(1)
: a wine list
(2)
: menu
5
informal + old-fashioned
: a usually clownishly amusing person : wag
He's such a card!
6
carded; carding; cards
1
: to ask for identification (as in a bar)
We all got carded.
2
: score
a golfer carding a 75
3
: to place or fasten on or by means of a card
4
: to provide with a card
5
: to list or record on a card
carded; carding; cards
: to cleanse, disentangle, and collect together (fibers) by the use of cards preparatory to spinning
carder
noun
1
: an instrument or machine for carding fibers that consists usually of bent wire teeth set closely in rows in a thick piece of leather fastened to a back
2
: an implement for raising a nap on cloth
Synonyms
Examples of card in a Sentence
Noun (1)
the diners asked if there were any specials on the card for the evening
you're really a card, but save the jokes for after class
Recent Examples on the Web
Jack Bantock, CNN, 14 Apr. 2024
Police identified the woman using her rewards card information and court records, the TV station said.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024
There was no mention of whether the attendant making the sale did any kind of double-take after carding her and getting a gander of the most famous driver’s license in the history of pop culture.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 25 Feb. 2024
Five players were tied at 14 under with seven holes to play, but Matsuyama finished with a flourish, carding three birdies on his last four holes to get to 9 under on the day and -17 for the week.
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2024
Even without the stormy winds that buffeted Augusta on Saturday, its rolling course still proved notoriously challenging as, of the leaders, only Collin Morikawa carded a score under 70 – his 69 taking him to six under for the tournament and second place, a shot behind Scheffler.
—Issy Ronald, CNN, 14 Apr. 2024
Scheffler carded a double-bogey and fell down the leaderboard.
—Jordan Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 14 Apr. 2024
Now cards this season featuring student-athletes, including 61 cards featuring basketball players.
—Doug Feinberg, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024
The Northern Irishman had cut an exasperated figure following a double-bogey at the par-four 14th, but roared home with three consecutive birdies to card 69 – a score exactly in-between his brilliant opening 65 and error-strewn second round 73.
—Jack Bantock, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024
Kelsey Chapman, ABC News, 10 May 2024
McAlister’s Deli: Spend $30 on gift cards or eGift cards through Sunday and get two $5 reward cards.
—Shelby Slade, The Arizona Republic, 10 May 2024
Parents apply for their children's Social Security card right after their birth.
—Anna Halkidis, Parents, 10 May 2024
The students, including sympathetic ones who did not join the sit-in, voluntarily handed over their student ID cards to accept punishment.
—TIME, 10 May 2024
The cards can't be used to travel across any border, whether that's Canada, Mexico, or any other international destination, according to DHS.
—Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 7 May 2024
From early in the film, title cards guide viewers through the leaps in time—two weeks earlier, a few days later, thirteen years earlier, three years later, ten years earlier, the day before, and so forth.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 6 May 2024
Damaging winds, huge hail, and long-track tornadoes are all in the cards, especially in Kansas, Oklahoma and northeast Texas.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 28 Apr. 2024
Though both seasons of Big Little Lies were praised by fans and critics alike, one of the series' stars said that a third season was not in the cards after the death of season one director Jean-Marc Vallée, who died of a heart attack at age 58 in December 2021.
—Stephanie Wenger, Peoplemag, 28 Apr. 2024
Verb
Scheffler’s ascent coincided with his playing partner plummeting in a tailspin, as Morikawa took two attempts to escape a bunker at the ninth before splashing a shot into the water two holes later to card two double bogeys in a matter of minutes.
—Jack Bantock, CNN, 14 Apr. 2024
Police identified the woman using her rewards card information and court records, the TV station said.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024
There was no mention of whether the attendant making the sale did any kind of double-take after carding her and getting a gander of the most famous driver’s license in the history of pop culture.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 25 Feb. 2024
Five players were tied at 14 under with seven holes to play, but Matsuyama finished with a flourish, carding three birdies on his last four holes to get to 9 under on the day and -17 for the week.
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2024
Even without the stormy winds that buffeted Augusta on Saturday, its rolling course still proved notoriously challenging as, of the leaders, only Collin Morikawa carded a score under 70 – his 69 taking him to six under for the tournament and second place, a shot behind Scheffler.
—Issy Ronald, CNN, 14 Apr. 2024
Scheffler carded a double-bogey and fell down the leaderboard.
—Jordan Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 14 Apr. 2024
Now cards this season featuring student-athletes, including 61 cards featuring basketball players.
—Doug Feinberg, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024
The Northern Irishman had cut an exasperated figure following a double-bogey at the par-four 14th, but roared home with three consecutive birdies to card 69 – a score exactly in-between his brilliant opening 65 and error-strewn second round 73.
—Jack Bantock, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024
Noun
This wallet comes in 22 different colors and finished, each containing the capacity to hold up to 15 cards with the traditional spot to tuck cash or other valuable.
—Kelsey Chapman, ABC News, 10 May 2024
McAlister’s Deli: Spend $30 on gift cards or eGift cards through Sunday and get two $5 reward cards.
—Shelby Slade, The Arizona Republic, 10 May 2024
Parents apply for their children's Social Security card right after their birth.
—Anna Halkidis, Parents, 10 May 2024
The students, including sympathetic ones who did not join the sit-in, voluntarily handed over their student ID cards to accept punishment.
—TIME, 10 May 2024
The cards can't be used to travel across any border, whether that's Canada, Mexico, or any other international destination, according to DHS.
—Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 7 May 2024
From early in the film, title cards guide viewers through the leaps in time—two weeks earlier, a few days later, thirteen years earlier, three years later, ten years earlier, the day before, and so forth.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 6 May 2024
Damaging winds, huge hail, and long-track tornadoes are all in the cards, especially in Kansas, Oklahoma and northeast Texas.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 28 Apr. 2024
Though both seasons of Big Little Lies were praised by fans and critics alike, one of the series' stars said that a third season was not in the cards after the death of season one director Jean-Marc Vallée, who died of a heart attack at age 58 in December 2021.
—Stephanie Wenger, Peoplemag, 28 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'card.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near card
Cite this Entry
“Card.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/card. Accessed 15 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
card
1 of 4 verb
: to clean and untangle fibers by combing with a card before spinning
carder
noun
card
2 of 4 noun
: an instrument usually having bent wire teeth for combing fibers (as wool or cotton)
card
3 of 4 noun1
2
plural
a
: a game played with cards
b
: card playing
3
informal
: an amusing person : wag
—used especially in the past
4
: a flat stiff usually small and rectangular piece of paper, thin cardboard, or plastic: as
a
: postcard
b
: such a card on which computer information is stored
c
d
5
: a sports program
6
: a removable circuit board (as in a personal computer)
card
4 of 4 verb1
: to provide with a card
2
: to ask for identification
Etymology
Noun
Middle English carde "instrument for combing fibers," from Latin cardus, carduus "instrument for combing fibers, thistle," from earlier Latin carduus "thistle"
Noun
Middle English carde "playing card," from early French carte (same meaning), probably from early Italian carta, literally, "leaf of paper," from Latin charta "piece of papyrus" — related to carton, cartoon, chart
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share