card

noun (1)

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\ ˈkärd

Definition of card

(Entry 1 of 5)

1 : playing card

2 cards plural in form but singular or plural in construction

a : a game played with cards

b : card playing

3a : 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

4a : 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) : credit card

(3) : business card

(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) : visiting card

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 : compass card

in the cards or less commonly on the cards

: inevitable success just wasn't in the cards for her

card

verb (1)

carded; carding; cards

Definition of card (Entry 2 of 5)

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

verb (2)

carded; carding; cards

Definition of card (Entry 3 of 5)

transitive verb

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

card

noun (2)

Definition of card (Entry 4 of 5)

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

abbreviation

Definition of card (Entry 5 of 5)

cardinal

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First Known Use of card

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1884, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for card

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

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Cite this Entry

“Card.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/card. Accessed 11 Apr. 2021.

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More Definitions for card

card

noun

\ ˈkärd

Kids Definition of card

1 : a decorated piece of thick paper that contains a greeting or is used to write a message birthday card note card

2 : a thick stiff piece of paper or plastic that contains information about a person or business I lost my library card.

3 : playing card

4 cards plural : a game played with playing cards

5 trading card baseball cards

6 : credit card

7 : a thin hard board that has small electronic devices on it and that can be added to a computer to make the computer perform different tasks a video card

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