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card1 definition

card (kärd)

noun

  1. a flat, stiff piece of thick paper or thin pasteboard, usually rectangular, as
    1. any of a pack of small, specially marked cards used in playing various games; specif., any of a pack of playing cards
    2. compass card
    3. ☆ a pasteboard with a number of small articles attached for sale a card of thumbtacks
    4. postcard
    5. calling card
    6. a card identifying a person as an agent, member, patron, etc.
    7. credit card
    8. an illustrated or decorated card bearing a message or greeting for some occasion a birthday card
    9. a card to advertise or announce an event, product, etc. a window card
    10. any of a series of cards on which information is recorded file card, index card
    11. ☆ score card (sense )
  2. ☆ a series of contests making up a program, esp. in boxing
  3. an event or attraction as described in a printed program drawing card
  4. Electronics
    1. a punch card or a card with a strip encoded magnetically
    2. a printed circuit board that plugs into a main circuit board
  5. Informal a witty, comical, or clowning person
  6. Informal a diplomatic maneuver or a force or resource that can be used to help achieve a goal

Etymology: ME carde < OFr carte < ML carta, card, paper < L charta, leaf of paper, tablet < Gr chartēs, layer of papyrus; prob. < Egypt

transitive verb

  1. to provide with a card
  2. to put on a card
  3. to list on cards for filing, cataloging, etc.
  4. to make as a score in golf
  5. Slang to ask (a young person) for identification, as an ID card, as to establish proof of legal age to drink alcohol

adjective

of or involving playing cards a card trick
card Idioms

card up one's sleeve

a plan or resource kept secret or held in reserve

in the cards

☆
likely or seemingly destined to happen: from the use of cards in fortunetelling
also Brit.on the cards

put one's cards on the table

or lay one's cards on the table
to reveal frankly one's intentions, schemes, resources, etc.
card2 definition

card (kärd)

noun

  1. a wire brush for raising the nap on cloth
  2. a machine with rollers covered with metal spikes, used to brush, clean, and disentangle the short fibers of wool, cotton, flax, etc.
  3. a hand-held implement for this, with short, fine spikes set in leather with a stiff backing

Etymology: ME & OFr carde < OProv carda < cardar, to card < VL *caritare < L carrere, to card < IE base *kars-, to scrape; sp. infl. by assoc. with ML cardus, a card, thistle < L carduus, thistle, of same orig.

transitive verb

to use a card on (fibers) in preparation for spinning

Related Forms:

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