card¹ /kärd/

1. A small, usu rectangular piece of cardboard or stiff paper
2. One with figures or symbols for playing a game
3. One with a person's name and address, with a greeting, invitation, message, etc (calling card, visiting card, Christmas card, birthday card, etc)
4. (in pl) an employee's work documents, held by an employer
5. A small piece of cardboard or plastic carrying information, showing membership or proof of identity, etc, either in print or on a magnetic strip (identity card, membership card, credit card, etc)
6. A domino
7. The dial of a mariner's compass (also compass card)
8. A map
9. A perforated plate used as a guide in weaving
10. A personal announcement in a newspaper or elsewhere (N American)
11. The programme of races at a race-meeting
12. A scorecard
13. A printed circuit board (computing)
14. A punched card (computing)
15. An expansion card (computing)
16. A person, usually qualified in some way, as in a knowing card (informal)
17. A comical or eccentric person
18. (in pl) a game played with cards

1. To return (a certain score) on a scorecard (golf)
2. (of a referee in sport, esp football) to show a yellow or red card to a player to indicate a punishment for breaking the rules
3. To enter in a card index

cardˈ-carrying adjective

1. Openly expressing membership of or support for a party or group
2. Orig holding a membership card of a party, etc, esp the Communist party

cardˈcase noun

Esp formerly, a case for carrying visiting cards

cardˈ-castle noun

1. A structure of playing cards built one upon the other in storeys
2. Any flimsy or precarious structure

card catalogue noun

A card index

card column noun (computing; obsolete)

One of the eighty or ninety columns of a punched card with lines parallel to the short edge of the card (cf card row)

card file noun

A card index

card game noun

Any game played with playing-cards

cardˈ-holder noun

1. Someone who has a membership card
2. Hence a member of a club, organization, etc
3. Someone who owns a credit or debit card

card index noun

One with entries on separate cards

cardˈ-inˈdex transitive verb

card mechanic see under mechanic

cardˈphone noun

A public telephone from which calls are made using a pre-paid plastic card rather than money

cardˈpunch noun (computing; obsolete)

A machine which perforates cards to record data

card reader noun (computing; obsolete)

A device which reads the data represented by holes on a punched card and converts them to a form suitable for storage or processing

card row noun (computing; obsolete)

One of the rows of a punched card with lines parallel to the long edge of the card (cf card column)

cardˈ-sharp or cardˈ-sharper noun

A person who cheats at cards

card swipe noun

An electronic device that reads information on a credit or debit card when the card is passed through it

cardˈ-table noun

A table for playing cards on

cardˈ-vote noun

A voting system that gives each delegate's vote a value in proportion to the number he represents

a card up one's sleeve

An advantageous factor or argument kept in reserve

cards in one's hands

Everything under one's control

cards on the table

One's resources and moves freely laid open

cooling card (Shakespeare)

Anything that discourages, or dashes hopes

get one's cards

To be dismissed from one's employment

hold all the cards

To have control over all of the factors that may determine the outcome of a situation

house of cards

1. A card-castle, cards built up into storeys
2. Any flimsy or precarious structure, scheme, etc

keep or play one's cards close to one's chest

To conceal one's full intentions

knowing card

Someone who is astute, sharp or wide awake

leading card

A strong point in one's case

make a card

To win a trick in a card game

on the cards

1. Not improbable
2. Likely to happen

play one's cards well or right (or badly)

1. To make (or not to make) the best of one's chances
2. To act (or not to act) in a way that will bring one benefit or advantage

play one's strongest or trump card

To make use of one's greatest advantage

• take up a quarrel
• take up arms
• take upon oneself
• take-up rate
• take-ups
• take up short
• take up the cudgels
• take up the gauntlet
• take up the reins
• take up the running
• take up the word
• take up with
• take warrant on oneself
• take wing
• take with a grain of salt
• take with a pinch of salt
• takhi
• takhis
• taki
• takier
• takiest
• takin
• taking
• takingly
• takingness