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Definition of card

card

/kɑːrd/
card

Plural:cards
•
Past Simple:carded
•
Past Participle:carded
•
Present Participle:carding
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card Lexical Profile

card Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A piece of thick, stiff paper or thin pasteboard, typically rectangular, used for writing, printing, or identifying someone.

Example

"She handed her business card to the client at the end of the meeting."


2

A small rectangular piece of plastic issued by a bank or financial institution, used to pay for goods or obtain cash.

Example

"The store only accepts cash or card for purchases under ten dollars."


3

One of a set of small rectangular pieces of stiff paper or plastic, marked with suits and ranks, used for playing games.

Example

"He shuffled the deck of cards before dealing them to the players."

• verb

1

North American To ask someone to show documentary evidence of their identity or age, especially before allowing them to purchase alcohol or enter a restricted venue.

Example

"The bartender carded everyone who looked under thirty before serving them a drink."


2

To comb and clean raw wool, hemp, or similar fibers with a sharp-toothed instrument to disentangle them before spinning.

Example

"The artisan used traditional hand tools to card the raw sheep's wool."


3

To write, record, or list information on an index card.

Example

"The librarian diligently carded the new arrivals before placing them on the shelf."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for card

• Rhymes for card

Word Origin & Etymology

Derived from Middle English 'carte', from Old French 'carte' via Latin 'charta' (leaf of paper), tracing back to Greek 'khartēs' (papyrus leaf). The verb sense relating to combing wool originates separately from Latin 'carduus' (thistle).

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020

Cite this Entry


Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Card. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 16, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/card
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