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wildcard - 2 dictionary results

wild-card

  [wahyld-kahrd]
Use wildcard in a Sentence
–adjective
1. of, constituting, or including a wild card.
2. Informal. of, being, or including an unpredictable or unproven element, person, item, etc.
3. Sports. of, being, or including an unseeded or unproven participant or team, as a team in a championship tournament that has not placed first in its league or area.
Origin:
1955–60
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To wildcard
wild·card or wild card   (wīld'kärd')   
n.  
  1. Games A playing card whose value can vary as determined by its holder.
  2. Sports An athlete or team selected to compete in a tournament or playoff from among those who did not qualify by meeting the regular requirements.
  3. Computer Science A symbol that stands for one or more unspecified characters, used especially in searching text and in selecting multiple files or directories.
  4. Slang An unpredictable or unforeseeable factor: A surprise witness proved to be the wild card at the trial.
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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