cardinal
cardinal Lexical Profile
cardinal Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A senior ecclesiastical leader and official of the Roman Catholic Church, ranking just below the Pope and typically appointed by him to serve as a member of the College of Cardinals.
"The Pope appointed several new cardinals from developing nations to reflect the global nature of the church."
North American A medium-sized crested songbird of the family Cardinalidae, native to North and Central America, noted for the bright red plumage of the male.
"A bright red cardinal landed on the snow-covered branch of the oak tree."
A vivid, deep red color, resembling the color of the robes worn by Catholic cardinals.
"She painted her front door a striking cardinal to make her house stand out in the neighborhood."
Word Nuance & Usage
In mathematical and grammatical contexts, cardinal numbers denote quantity (how many), whereas ordinal numbers denote position in a sequence (first, second).
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Latin 'cardinalis' (principal, essential), derived from 'cardo' (hinge), implying that on which something turns or depends. The bird and color are named for the bright red vestments worn by Roman Catholic cardinals.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.