card

1 of 5

noun (1)

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)
(2)
(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)
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

card

2 of 5

verb (1)

carded; carding; cards

transitive verb

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

card

3 of 5

verb (2)

carded; carding; cards

transitive verb

: to cleanse, disentangle, and collect together (fibers) by the use of cards preparatory to spinning
carder noun

card

4 of 5

noun (2)

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

card

5 of 5

abbreviation

Phrases
in the cards or less commonly on the cards
: inevitable
success just wasn't in the cards for her

Examples of card in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
On that occasion, Ciampi carded Delgado for tripping Sergio Busquets although replays clearly showed Delgado never touched the Inter Miami player, who ran into a sliding Delgado and fell. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 29 Feb. 2024 The 28-year-old former star of the Southern California junior golf scene carded birdies on four consecutive holes in his back nine on the Nicklaus course. Greg Beacham, USA TODAY, 18 Jan. 2024 Cardholders will be happier, as will card issuers be in a better state as a consequence of fewer calls from unhappy card members. John Tamny, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024 Burns led the event after two rounds with a career-low 61, and he was tied with two holes to play Sunday before hitting into the water on each of his final two holes and carding back-to-back double bogeys, finishing in a tie for sixth. CBS News, 22 Jan. 2024 The bar-calming days likely are behind Knapp, who carded three rounds in the 60s to find himself in the hunt at the finish line. Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Jan. 2024 Coulter Parsons led North Harford with a 37, Cooper Honig shot a 41, Lucas Parks carded a 42, Greg Sebring fired a 43 and Mason Wedge added a 47. Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 30 Aug. 2023 The Canadian then carded a 5-under 67 in the final round for a 24 under to force a playoff with Rickie Fowler and Collin Morikawa. Alexis Cubit, The Courier-Journal, 9 July 2023 Palisades High junior Anna Song, another captain’s pick, was unable to card any points. Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2023
Noun
If as the cards lie East covers with the jack, South’s queen loses to West. Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024 Answer: Yes, closing cards can hurt your credit scores. Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2024 The company’s Hot Water Conservation Kit includes a massage shower head, a kitchen swivel faucet aerator, a bathroom faucet aerator, pipe insulation, a shower timer and a hot water temperature card for your water heater. Laura Daily, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 Luckily, this black-and-white card set is available as an individual product! Maya Polton, Parents, 8 Mar. 2024 Here’s how to avoid some of the most common ones: —Double check your name on your Social Security card. Adriana Morga, Quartz, 8 Mar. 2024 The metalwork will mimic the artistic designs found on the backs of playing cards. The Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2024 Fields got booked for charges of communicating threats and simple assault, Nunez for financial card fraud and Hayward with assault on a female, according to jail records. Ryan Oehrli, Charlotte Observer, 28 Feb. 2024 Citi is the official card of the tour, with Citi cardmembers having access to presale tickets on Feb. 27 at 10 a.m. local time until Feb. 29 at 10 a.m. local time through the Citi Entertainment program. Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 27 Feb. 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.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English carde, from Anglo-French, alteration of Middle French carte, probably from Old Italian carta, literally, leaf of paper, from Latin charta leaf of papyrus, from Greek chartēs

Noun (2)

Middle English carde, from Medieval Latin cardus, carduus, thistle, carding instrument, from Latin carduus thistle — more at chard

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1861, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of card was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near card

Cite this Entry

“Card.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/card. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids 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 noun
1
2
plural
a
: a game played with cards
b
: card playing
3
: an amusing person : wag
4
: a flat stiff usually small and rectangular piece of paper, thin cardboard, or plastic: as
a
b
: such a card on which computer information is stored
5
: a sports program
6
: a removable circuit board (as in a personal computer)

card

4 of 4 verb
1
: 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

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