Search results for 'card':

card¹ noun 1 a kind of thick, stiff paper or thin cardboard. 2 (also playing card) a rectangular piece of card bearing a design, usually one of a set, used eg for playing games, fortune-telling, etc. 3 a small rectangular piece of card or plastic, showing eg one's identity, job, membership of an organization, etc. 4 a small rectangular piece of stiff plastic issued by a bank, etc to a customer, used eg instead of cash or a cheque when making payments, as a guarantee for a cheque, for operating a cash machine, etc. See also credit card, debit card. 5 computing a piece of card on which information is stored in the form of punched holes or magnetic codes. 6 a piece of card, usually folded double and bearing a design and message, sent to someone on a special occasion • Christmas card. 7 a postcard. 8 old use, colloq an amusing person. 9 horse-racing a racecard. 10 (cards) games played with playing cards. 11 (cards) an employee's personal documents held by their employer. verb (carded, carding) 1 to enter in card index. 2 sport, especially football (be carded) to be shown a yellow card or red card by the referee, resulting in either a booking or dismissal from the field. the cards are stacked against someone or something colloq circumstances do not favour them. get one's cards colloq to be dismissed from one's job. have a card up one's sleeve in an argument or contest: to have something prepared, which can be used to one's advantage, but which has not yet been revealed to one's opponents. hold all the cards colloq to have the stronger or strongest position of opposing parties; to have all the advantages. lay or put one's cards on the table colloq to announce one's intentions, reveal one's thoughts, etc openly. on the cards colloq likely to happen. play one's best, strongest or trump card colloq to make use of one's strongest advantage. play one's cards close to one's chest to be secretive about one's intentions. play one's cards right colloq to make good use of one's opportunities and advantages.
ETYMOLOGY: 15c: from French carte, from Latin charta, from Greek chartes papyrus leaf.

card² noun a comb-like device with sharp teeth for removing knots and tangles from sheep's wool, etc before spinning, or for pulling across the surface of cloth to make it fluffy. verb (carded, carding) to treat (wool, fabric) with a card. carding noun.
ETYMOLOGY: 15c: from French carde teasel head, from Latin carduus thistle.