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Card

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card

1[kahrd]
–noun
1. a usually rectangular piece of stiff paper, thin pasteboard, or plastic for various uses, as to write information on or printed as a means of identifying the holder: a 3″ × 5″ file card; a membership card.
2. one of a set of thin pieces of cardboard with spots, figures, etc., used in playing various games; playing card.
3. cards, (usually used with a singular verb)
a. a game or games played with such a set.
b. the playing of such a game: to win at cards.
c. Casino. the winning of 27 cards or more.
d. Whist. tricks won in excess of six.
4. Also called greeting card. a piece of paper or thin cardboard, usually folded, printed with a message of holiday greeting, congratulations, or other sentiment, often with an illustration or decorations, for mailing to a person on an appropriate occasion.
5. something useful in attaining an objective, as a course of action or position of strength, comparable to a high card held in a game: If negotiation fails, we still have another card to play.
6. postcard.
7. calling card (def. 1).
8. Commerce.
a. credit card.
b. bank card.
9. a program of the events at races, boxing matches, etc.
10. scorecard.
11. a menu or wine list.
12. compass card.
13. Computers.
a. punch card.
b. board (def. 14a).
14. trading card.
15. Informal.
a. a person who is amusing or facetious.
b. any person, esp. one with some indicated characteristic: a queer card.
–verb (used with object)
16. to provide with a card.
17. to fasten on a card.
18. to write, list, etc., on cards.
19. Slang. to examine the identity card or papers of: The bartender was carding all youthful customers to be sure they were of legal drinking age.
20. in or on the cards, impending or likely; probable: A reorganization is in the cards.
21. play one's cards right, to act cleverly, sensibly, or cautiously: If you play your cards right, you may get mentioned in her will.
22. put one's cards on the table, to be completely straightforward and open; conceal nothing: He always believed in putting his cards on the table.

Origin:
1350–1400; ME carde, unexplained var. of carte

card

2[kahrd]
–noun Also called carding machine.
1. a machine for combing and paralleling fibers of cotton, flax, wool, etc., prior to spinning to remove short, undesirable fibers and produce a sliver.
2. a similar implement for raising the nap on cloth.
–verb (used with object)
3. to dress (wool or the like) with a card.
4. card out, Printing. to add extra space between lines of text, so as to fill out a page or column or give the text a better appearance.

Origin:
1325–75; ME carde < MF: lit., teasel head < LL cardus thistle, var. of L carduus


carder, noun

Card.

Cardinal.

board

[bawrd, bohrd]
–noun
1. a piece of wood sawed thin, and of considerable length and breadth compared with the thickness.
2. a flat slab of wood or other material for some specific purpose: a cutting board.
3. a sheet of wood, cardboard, paper, etc., with or without markings, for some special use, as a checkerboard or chessboard.
4. boards,
a. Theater. the stage: The play will go on the boards next week.
b. the wooden fence surrounding the playing area of an ice-hockey rink.
c. a racing course made of wood, used esp. in track meets held indoors: his first time running on boards.
5. Bookbinding. stiff cardboard or other material covered with paper, cloth, or the like to form the covers for a book.
6. Building Trades. composition material made in large sheets, as plasterboard or corkboard.
7. a table, esp. to serve food on.
8. daily meals, esp. as provided for pay: twenty dollars a day for room and board.
9. an official group of persons who direct or supervise some activity: a board of directors.
10. Nautical.
a. the side of a ship.
b. one leg, or tack, of the course of a ship beating to windward.
11. Railroads. a fixed signal or permanent sign regulating traffic.
12. a flat surface, as a wall or an object of rectangular shape, on which something is posted, as notices or stock-market quotations: a bulletin board.
13. surfboard.
14. Computers.
a. Also called card, circuit board. a piece of fiberglass or other material upon which chips can be mounted to perform specific functions.
b. plugboard (def. 2).
15. Electronics. circuit board (def. 2).
16. a switchboard.
17. Australian.
a. the area of a woolshed where shearing is done.
b. a crew of shearers working in a particular woolshed.
c. sheep about to be sheared.
18. Obsolete. the edge, border, or side of anything.
–verb (used with object)
19. to cover or close with boards (often fol. by up or over): to board up a house; to board over a well.
20. to furnish with meals, or with meals and lodging, esp. for pay: They boarded him for $50 a week.
21. to go on board of or enter (a ship, train, etc.).
22. to allow on board: We will be boarding passengers in approximately ten minutes.
23. to come up alongside (a ship), as to attack or to go on board: The pirate ship boarded the clipper.
24. Obsolete. to approach; accost.
–verb (used without object)
25. to take one's meals, or be supplied with food and lodging at a fixed price: Several of us board at the same rooming house.
26. Ice Hockey. to hit an opposing player with a board check.
27. across the board,
a. Racing. betting on a horse or dog to finish first, second, or third, so that any result where a selection wins, places, or shows enables the bettor to collect.
b. applying to or affecting every person, class, group, etc.
28. go by the board,
a. to go over the ship's side.
b. to be destroyed, neglected, or forgotten: All his devoted labor went by the board.
29. on board,
a. on or in a ship, plane, or other vehicle: There were several movie stars on board traveling incognito.
b. Baseball. on base: There were two men on board as the next batter came up.
c. present and functioning as a member of a team or organization.
Also, aboard.
30. on the boards, in the theatrical profession: The family has been on the boards since grandfather's time.
31. tread the boards. tread (def. 22).

Origin:
bef. 900; ME, OE bord board, table, shield; c. D boord board, bord plate, G Bort, ON borth, Goth -baurd


board⋅a⋅ble, adjective
boardlike, adjective

calling card

–noun
1. Also called card, visiting card. a small card with the name and often the address of a person or of a couple, for presenting when making a business or social call, for enclosing in gifts, etc.
2. Informal. any mark, sign, trace, characteristic, or the like by which someone or something can be recognized.
3. Also called phone card. a prepaid card or charge card that can be used to make a telephone call at home or away from home.

Origin:
1895–1900, Americanism
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To Card
card 1   (kärd)   
n.  
  1. A flat, usually rectangular piece of stiff paper, cardboard, or plastic, especially:

    1. One of a set or pack bearing significant numbers, symbols, or figures, used in games and in divination.

    2. A greeting card.

    3. A post card.

    4. One bearing a person's name and other information, used for purposes of identification or classification.

    5. One bearing the image and often the statistics of a sports figure.

    6. A business card.

    7. A credit card.

    8. A magnetic card.

    9. One used for recording information in a file: an index card; a recipe card.

    10. A game played with cards.

    11. The playing of games with cards.

    12. A menu, as in a restaurant.

    13. A wine list.

    14. A circuit board, especially for use in a computer.

    15. A punch card.

    16. Something, such as an advantageous circumstance or tactical maneuver, that can be used to help gain an objective. Often used with play: "[He believed that] Soviet Russia ... had far more Iranian cards to play than the United States" (Theodore Draper).

    17. An appeal to a specified issue or argument, usually one involving strong emotions. Often used with play: "His exposure as a racist ... allowed the defense to play the race card" (New York Times).

  2. cards (used with a sing. or pl. verb) Games

    1. A game played with cards.

    2. The playing of games with cards.

    3. A menu, as in a restaurant.

    4. A wine list.

    5. A circuit board, especially for use in a computer.

    6. A punch card.

    7. Something, such as an advantageous circumstance or tactical maneuver, that can be used to help gain an objective. Often used with play: "[He believed that] Soviet Russia ... had far more Iranian cards to play than the United States" (Theodore Draper).

    8. An appeal to a specified issue or argument, usually one involving strong emotions. Often used with play: "His exposure as a racist ... allowed the defense to play the race card" (New York Times).

  3. A program, especially for a sports event.

    1. A menu, as in a restaurant.

    2. A wine list.

    3. A circuit board, especially for use in a computer.

    4. A punch card.

    5. Something, such as an advantageous circumstance or tactical maneuver, that can be used to help gain an objective. Often used with play: "[He believed that] Soviet Russia ... had far more Iranian cards to play than the United States" (Theodore Draper).

    6. An appeal to a specified issue or argument, usually one involving strong emotions. Often used with play: "His exposure as a racist ... allowed the defense to play the race card" (New York Times).

  4. Computer Science

    1. A circuit board, especially for use in a computer.

    2. A punch card.

    3. Something, such as an advantageous circumstance or tactical maneuver, that can be used to help gain an objective. Often used with play: "[He believed that] Soviet Russia ... had far more Iranian cards to play than the United States" (Theodore Draper).

    4. An appeal to a specified issue or argument, usually one involving strong emotions. Often used with play: "His exposure as a racist ... allowed the defense to play the race card" (New York Times).

  5. A compass card.

  6. Informal An eccentrically amusing person.

    1. Something, such as an advantageous circumstance or tactical maneuver, that can be used to help gain an objective. Often used with play: "[He believed that] Soviet Russia ... had far more Iranian cards to play than the United States" (Theodore Draper).

    2. An appeal to a specified issue or argument, usually one involving strong emotions. Often used with play: "His exposure as a racist ... allowed the defense to play the race card" (New York Times).

tr.v.   card·ed, card·ing, cards
  1. To furnish with or attach to a card.

  2. To list (something) on a card; catalog.

  3. To check the identification of, especially in order to verify legal age.

  4. Sports To warn or eject (a soccer player who has committed a flagrant foul) by showing a yellow card or a red card.

Phrasal Verb(s):
card inTo sign in, as at a place of business, by use of a magnetic card.
card outTo sign out, as from a place of business, by use of a magnetic card.

Idiom(s):
card up (one's) sleeveA secret resource or plan held in reserve: a tough negotiator who had a number of cards up his sleeve.

Idiom(s):
in the cardsLikely or certain to happen: My promotion to a higher position just isn't in the cards.

Idiom(s):
put/lay (one's) cards on the tableTo make frank and clear revelation, as of one's motives or intentions.

[Middle English carde, from Old French carte, from Latin charta, paper made from papyrus, from Greek khartēs.]
card 2   (kärd)   
n.  
  1. A wire-toothed brush or a machine fitted with rows of wire teeth, used to disentangle fibers, as of wool, prior to spinning.

  2. A device used to raise the nap on a fabric.

tr.v.   card·ed, card·ing, cards
To comb out or brush with a card.

[Middle English carde, from Medieval Latin cardus, from Latin carduus, thistle.]
card'er n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
card

  1. n.
    a funny person. : Britney is such a card. She cracks me up.
  2. tv.
    to check people's ID cards for age or other eligibility. (See also carded.) : They card everybody at the football games, even the parents.

  3. Go to phish. :
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

card  (n.)
1401, from M.Fr. carte, from L. charta "leaf of paper, tablet," from Gk. khartes "layer of papyrus," probably from Egyptian. Form infl. after 14c. by It. carta (see chart). Sense of "playing cards" is oldest in Fr. and Eng.; the sense extended to similar flat, stiff bits of paper 1596. Meaning "printed ornamental greetings for special occasions" is 1869. Application to clever or original persons (1836, originally with an adjective, e.g. smart card) is from the playing-card sense, via expressions such as sure card "an expedient certain to attain an object" (c.1560). Verb meaning "require (someone) to show ID" is 1970s. Cardboard is from 1848; Card-carrying first attested 1948, during U.S. Cold War anti-Communist paranoia. Card table is from 1713. Card-sharper is 1859. House of cards in the fig. sense is from 1641, first attested in Milton. To have a card up (one's) sleeve is 1898; to play the _______ card is from 1886, originally the Orange card, meaning "appeal to Northern Irish Protestant sentiment (for political advantage)."

card  (v.)
"to comb wool," 1393, from O.Prov. carda, from cardar "to card," from V.L. *caritare, from L. carrere "to clean or comb with a card," from PIE base *kars- "to scrape."

board  (1)
O.E. bord "a plank, flat surface," from P.Gmc. *bortham (cf. Goth. fotu-baurd "foot-stool," Ger. Brett "plank"), from PIE *bhrdho- "board," from base *bher- "to cut." See also board (2), with which this is so confused as practically to form one word. A board is thinner than a plank, and generally less than 2.5 inches thick. The transf. meaning "food" (1386) is an extension of the O.E. sense of "table;" hence, also, above board "honest, open" (1620). Another extension is to "council (that meets at a table)," 1613. Boarder is attested from 1530. Boarding-school is from 1677. Boardwalk is from 1872, originally Amer.Eng.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: board
Function: noun
often cap 1 a : a group of individuals having managerial, supervisory, investigatory, or advisory powers over a public or private business, trust, or other organization or institution <Board of Regents> <Board of Bar Overseers> b : BOARD OF DIRECTORS
2 a : a group of citizens elected to administer the business of or an aspect of the business of a political unit (as a town or county) board of selectmen> b : a federal, state, or local government agency —see also National Labor Relations Board in the IMPORTANT AGENCIES section
3 : a securities or commodities exchange —see also BOARD OF TRADE
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: board
Pronunciation: 'bO(&)rd, 'bo(&)rd
Function: noun
1 : a group of persons having supervisory, managerial, investigatory, oradvisory powers boards> board of health>
2 : an examination given by an examining board —often used in pluralboards>
Computing Dictionary

card
1. A circuit board.
2. A punched card.
3. An alternative term for a node in a system (e.g. HyperCard, Notecards) in which the node size is limited.

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Abbreviations & Acronyms
Card
player on St. Louis Cardinals baseball team
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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