card
♦♦ card /k'ɑːrd/ (cards)
1 [N-COUNT]
A card is a piece of stiff paper or thin cardboard on which something is written or printed.
Check the numbers below against the numbers on your card.
2 [N-COUNT] with supp, usu n N
A card is a piece of cardboard or plastic, or a small document, which shows information about you and which you carry with you, for example to prove your identity.
They check my bag and press card.
...her membership card...
The authorities have begun to issue ration cards.
3 [N-COUNT] oft n-proper N
A card is a rectangular piece of plastic, issued by a bank, company, or shop, which you can use to buy things or obtain money.
He paid the whole bill with an American Express card...
Holidaymakers should beware of using plastic cards in foreign cash dispensers.
4 [N-COUNT] oft supp N
A card is a folded piece of stiff paper with a picture and sometimes a message printed on it, which you send to someone on a special occasion.
She sends me a card on my birthday.
...millions of get-well cards.
5 [N-COUNT]
A card is the same as a postcard.
Send your details on a card to the following address.
6 [N-COUNT] oft poss N
A card is a piece of thin cardboard carried by someone such as a business person in order to give to other people. A card shows the name, address, telephone number, and other details of the person who carries it. (BUSINESS)
Here's my card. You may need me.
= business card
7 [N-COUNT] usu pl
Cards are thin pieces of cardboard with numbers or pictures printed on them which are used to play various games.
...a pack of cards...
= playing card
8 [N-UNCOUNT]
If you are playing cards, you are playing a game using cards.
They enjoy themselves drinking wine, smoking and playing cards.
9 [N-COUNT]
You can use card to refer to something that gives you an advantage in a particular situation. If you play a particular card, you use that advantage.
It was his strongest card in their relationship-that she wanted him more than he wanted her...
This permitted Western manufacturers to play their strong cards: capital and technology.
10 [N-UNCOUNT]
Card is strong, stiff paper or thin cardboard.
She put the pieces of card in her pocket.
11
see also bank card, business card, cash card, cash card, cheque card,
Christmas card, credit card, identity card, identity card, index card,
payment card, place card, report card, report card, smart card, wild card
12 [PHRASE] usu v-link PHR
If you say that something is on the cards in British English, or in the cards in American English, you mean that it is very likely to happen.
Last summer she began telling friends that a New Year marriage was on the cards.
= likely
≠ unlikely
13 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you say that someone will achieve success if they play their cards right, you mean that they will achieve success if they act skilfully and use the advantages that they have.
He could even be the next manager of the England team if he plays his cards right.
14 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you put or lay your cards on the table, you deal with a situation by speaking openly about your feelings, ideas, or plans.
Put your cards on the table and be very clear about your complaints.af|fin|ity card (affinity cards)
[N-COUNT]
An affinity card is a type of credit card. The bank which issues the card gives a small amount of money to a charity or institution each time the customer spends a certain amount with their card.bank card (bank cards)
also bankcard
1 [N-COUNT]
A bank card is a plastic card which your bank gives you so you can get money from your bank account using a cash machine. It is also called an ATM card in American English. In Britain, you also use bank cards to prove who you are when you pay for something by cheque.
2 [N-COUNT]
A bank card is a credit card that is supplied by a bank. (AM)board|ing card (boarding cards)
[N-COUNT]
A boarding card is a card which a passenger must have when boarding a plane or a boat.busi|ness card (business cards)
[N-COUNT] oft poss N
A person's business card or their card is a small card which they give to other people, and which has their name and details of their job and company printed on it.call|ing card (calling cards)
[N-COUNT]
A calling card is a small card with personal information about you on it, such as your name and address, which you can give to people when you go to visit them. (mainly AM)
= cardcard game (card games)
[N-COUNT]
A card game is a game that is played using a set of playing cards.card in|dex (card indexes)
[N-COUNT]
A card index is a number of cards with information written on them which are arranged in a particular order, usually alphabetical, so that you can find the information you want easily.card ta|ble (card tables)
also card-table
[N-COUNT]
A card table is a small light table which can be folded up and which is sometimes used for playing games of cards on.cash card (cash cards)
also cashcard
[N-COUNT]
A cash card is a card that banks give to their customers so that they can get money out of a cash dispenser. (BRIT)charge card (charge cards)
also chargecard
1 [N-COUNT]
A charge card is a plastic card that you use to buy goods on credit from a particular store or group of stores. Compare credit card. (BRIT)
2 [N-COUNT]
A charge card is the same as a credit card. (AM)cheque card (cheque cards)
[N-COUNT]
In Britain, a cheque card or a cheque guarantee card is a small plastic card given to you by your bank and which you have to show when you are paying for something by cheque or when you are cashing a cheque at another bank.Christ|mas card (Christmas cards)
[N-COUNT]
Christmas cards are cards with greetings, which people send to their friends and family at Christmas.cred|it card (credit cards)
[N-COUNT]
A credit card is a plastic card that you use to buy goods on credit. Compare charge card.deb|it card (debit cards)
[N-COUNT]
A debit card is a bank card that you can use to pay for things. When you use it the money is taken out of your bank account immediately.do|nor card (donor cards)
[N-COUNT]
A donor card is a card which people carry in order to make sure that, when they die, their organs are used by doctors to help people who are ill.flash card (flash cards)
also flashcard
[N-COUNT]
Flash cards are cards which are sometimes used in the teaching of reading or a foreign language. Each card has words or a picture on it.gold card (gold cards)
[N-COUNT]
A gold card is a special type of credit card that gives you extra benefits such as a higher spending limit.green card (green cards)
[N-COUNT]
A green card is a document showing that someone who is not a citizen of the United States has permission to live and work there.
Nicollette married Harry so she could get a green card.greet|ings card (greetings cards)
in AM, use greeting card
[N-COUNT]
A greetings card is a folded card with a picture on the front and greetings inside that you give or send to someone, for example on their birthday.iden|tity card (identity cards)
[N-COUNT]
An identity card is a card with a person's name, photograph, date of birth, and other information on it. In some countries, people are required to carry identity cards in order to prove who they are.in|dex card (index cards)
[N-COUNT]
An index card is a small card on which you can write information. Index cards are kept in a box, arranged in order.key card (key cards)
[N-COUNT]
A key card is a small plastic card which you can use instead of a key to open a door or barrier, for example in some hotels and car parks.loy|al|ty card (loyalty cards)
[N-COUNT]
A loyalty card is a plastic card that some shops give to regular customers. Each time the customer buys something from the shop, points are electronically stored on their card and can be exchanged later for goods or services.memo|ry card (memory cards)
[N-COUNT]
A memory card is a type of card containing computer memory that is used in digital cameras and other devices. (COMPUTING)net|work card (network cards)
or network interface card
[N-COUNT]
A network card or a network interface card is a card that connects a computer to a network. (COMPUTING)pay|ment card (payment cards)
[N-COUNT]
A payment card is a plastic card which you use like a credit card in order to pay for things, but which takes the money directly from your bank account.
= debit cardplace card (place cards)
[N-COUNT]
A place card is a small card with a person's name on it which is put on a table at a formal meal to indicate where that person is to sit.play|ing card (playing cards)
[N-COUNT]
Playing cards are thin pieces of cardboard with numbers or pictures printed on them, which are used to play various games.
= cardred card (red cards)
[N-COUNT] usu singular
In football or rugby, if a player is shown the red card, the referee holds up a red card to indicate that the player must leave the pitch for breaking the rules.re|port card (report cards)
1 [N-COUNT]
A report card is an official written account of how well or how badly a pupil has done during the term or year that has just finished. (AM; in BRIT, use report)
The only time I got their attention was when I brought home straight A's on my report card.
2 [N-COUNT]
A report card is a report on how well a person, organization, or country has been doing recently. (AM JOURNALISM)
The President today issued his final report card on the state of the economy.scratch card (scratch cards)
also scratchcard
[N-COUNT]
A scratch card is a card with hidden words or symbols on it. You scratch the surface off to reveal the words or symbols and find out if you have won a prize.SIM card /s'ɪm kɑːrd/ (SIM cards)
[N-COUNT]
A SIM card is a microchip in a mobile phone that connects it to a particular phone network. SIM is an abbreviation for `Subscriber Identity Module'.smart card (smart cards)
[N-COUNT]
A smart card is a plastic card which looks like a credit card and can store and process computer data.swipe card (swipe cards)
also swipecard
[N-COUNT]
A swipe card is a plastic card with a magnetic strip on it which contains information that can be read or transferred by passing the card through a special machine.
They use a swipe card to go in and out of their offices.wild card (wild cards)
also wildcard
1 [N-COUNT] oft N in n
If you refer to someone or something as a wild card in a particular situation, you mean that they cause uncertainty because you do not know how they will behave.
The wild card in the picture is eastern Europe.
2 [N-COUNT]
If a sports player is given a wild card for a particular competition, they are allowed to play in it, although they have not qualified for it in the usual way. You can also use wild card to refer to a player who enters a competition in this way.
3 [N-COUNT]
A wildcard is a symbol such as * or ? which is used in some computing commands or searches in order to represent any character or range of characters. (COMPUTING)yel|low card (yellow cards)
[N-COUNT] usu sing
In football or rugby, if a player is shown the yellow card, the referee holds up a yellow card to indicate that the player has broken the rules, and that if they do so again, they will be ordered to leave the pitch.
1 [N-COUNT]
A card is a piece of stiff paper or thin cardboard on which something is written or printed.
Check the numbers below against the numbers on your card.
2 [N-COUNT] with supp, usu n N
A card is a piece of cardboard or plastic, or a small document, which shows information about you and which you carry with you, for example to prove your identity.
They check my bag and press card.
...her membership card...
The authorities have begun to issue ration cards.
3 [N-COUNT] oft n-proper N
A card is a rectangular piece of plastic, issued by a bank, company, or shop, which you can use to buy things or obtain money.
He paid the whole bill with an American Express card...
Holidaymakers should beware of using plastic cards in foreign cash dispensers.
4 [N-COUNT] oft supp N
A card is a folded piece of stiff paper with a picture and sometimes a message printed on it, which you send to someone on a special occasion.
She sends me a card on my birthday.
...millions of get-well cards.
5 [N-COUNT]
A card is the same as a postcard.
Send your details on a card to the following address.
6 [N-COUNT] oft poss N
A card is a piece of thin cardboard carried by someone such as a business person in order to give to other people. A card shows the name, address, telephone number, and other details of the person who carries it. (BUSINESS)
Here's my card. You may need me.
= business card
7 [N-COUNT] usu pl
Cards are thin pieces of cardboard with numbers or pictures printed on them which are used to play various games.
...a pack of cards...
= playing card
8 [N-UNCOUNT]
If you are playing cards, you are playing a game using cards.
They enjoy themselves drinking wine, smoking and playing cards.
9 [N-COUNT]
You can use card to refer to something that gives you an advantage in a particular situation. If you play a particular card, you use that advantage.
It was his strongest card in their relationship-that she wanted him more than he wanted her...
This permitted Western manufacturers to play their strong cards: capital and technology.
10 [N-UNCOUNT]
Card is strong, stiff paper or thin cardboard.
She put the pieces of card in her pocket.
11
see also bank card, business card, cash card, cash card, cheque card,
Christmas card, credit card, identity card, identity card, index card,
payment card, place card, report card, report card, smart card, wild card
12 [PHRASE] usu v-link PHR
If you say that something is on the cards in British English, or in the cards in American English, you mean that it is very likely to happen.
Last summer she began telling friends that a New Year marriage was on the cards.
= likely
≠ unlikely
13 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you say that someone will achieve success if they play their cards right, you mean that they will achieve success if they act skilfully and use the advantages that they have.
He could even be the next manager of the England team if he plays his cards right.
14 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you put or lay your cards on the table, you deal with a situation by speaking openly about your feelings, ideas, or plans.
Put your cards on the table and be very clear about your complaints.af|fin|ity card (affinity cards)
[N-COUNT]
An affinity card is a type of credit card. The bank which issues the card gives a small amount of money to a charity or institution each time the customer spends a certain amount with their card.bank card (bank cards)
also bankcard
1 [N-COUNT]
A bank card is a plastic card which your bank gives you so you can get money from your bank account using a cash machine. It is also called an ATM card in American English. In Britain, you also use bank cards to prove who you are when you pay for something by cheque.
2 [N-COUNT]
A bank card is a credit card that is supplied by a bank. (AM)board|ing card (boarding cards)
[N-COUNT]
A boarding card is a card which a passenger must have when boarding a plane or a boat.busi|ness card (business cards)
[N-COUNT] oft poss N
A person's business card or their card is a small card which they give to other people, and which has their name and details of their job and company printed on it.call|ing card (calling cards)
[N-COUNT]
A calling card is a small card with personal information about you on it, such as your name and address, which you can give to people when you go to visit them. (mainly AM)
= cardcard game (card games)
[N-COUNT]
A card game is a game that is played using a set of playing cards.card in|dex (card indexes)
[N-COUNT]
A card index is a number of cards with information written on them which are arranged in a particular order, usually alphabetical, so that you can find the information you want easily.card ta|ble (card tables)
also card-table
[N-COUNT]
A card table is a small light table which can be folded up and which is sometimes used for playing games of cards on.cash card (cash cards)
also cashcard
[N-COUNT]
A cash card is a card that banks give to their customers so that they can get money out of a cash dispenser. (BRIT)charge card (charge cards)
also chargecard
1 [N-COUNT]
A charge card is a plastic card that you use to buy goods on credit from a particular store or group of stores. Compare credit card. (BRIT)
2 [N-COUNT]
A charge card is the same as a credit card. (AM)cheque card (cheque cards)
[N-COUNT]
In Britain, a cheque card or a cheque guarantee card is a small plastic card given to you by your bank and which you have to show when you are paying for something by cheque or when you are cashing a cheque at another bank.Christ|mas card (Christmas cards)
[N-COUNT]
Christmas cards are cards with greetings, which people send to their friends and family at Christmas.cred|it card (credit cards)
[N-COUNT]
A credit card is a plastic card that you use to buy goods on credit. Compare charge card.deb|it card (debit cards)
[N-COUNT]
A debit card is a bank card that you can use to pay for things. When you use it the money is taken out of your bank account immediately.do|nor card (donor cards)
[N-COUNT]
A donor card is a card which people carry in order to make sure that, when they die, their organs are used by doctors to help people who are ill.flash card (flash cards)
also flashcard
[N-COUNT]
Flash cards are cards which are sometimes used in the teaching of reading or a foreign language. Each card has words or a picture on it.gold card (gold cards)
[N-COUNT]
A gold card is a special type of credit card that gives you extra benefits such as a higher spending limit.green card (green cards)
[N-COUNT]
A green card is a document showing that someone who is not a citizen of the United States has permission to live and work there.
Nicollette married Harry so she could get a green card.greet|ings card (greetings cards)
in AM, use greeting card
[N-COUNT]
A greetings card is a folded card with a picture on the front and greetings inside that you give or send to someone, for example on their birthday.iden|tity card (identity cards)
[N-COUNT]
An identity card is a card with a person's name, photograph, date of birth, and other information on it. In some countries, people are required to carry identity cards in order to prove who they are.in|dex card (index cards)
[N-COUNT]
An index card is a small card on which you can write information. Index cards are kept in a box, arranged in order.key card (key cards)
[N-COUNT]
A key card is a small plastic card which you can use instead of a key to open a door or barrier, for example in some hotels and car parks.loy|al|ty card (loyalty cards)
[N-COUNT]
A loyalty card is a plastic card that some shops give to regular customers. Each time the customer buys something from the shop, points are electronically stored on their card and can be exchanged later for goods or services.memo|ry card (memory cards)
[N-COUNT]
A memory card is a type of card containing computer memory that is used in digital cameras and other devices. (COMPUTING)net|work card (network cards)
or network interface card
[N-COUNT]
A network card or a network interface card is a card that connects a computer to a network. (COMPUTING)pay|ment card (payment cards)
[N-COUNT]
A payment card is a plastic card which you use like a credit card in order to pay for things, but which takes the money directly from your bank account.
= debit cardplace card (place cards)
[N-COUNT]
A place card is a small card with a person's name on it which is put on a table at a formal meal to indicate where that person is to sit.play|ing card (playing cards)
[N-COUNT]
Playing cards are thin pieces of cardboard with numbers or pictures printed on them, which are used to play various games.
= cardred card (red cards)
[N-COUNT] usu singular
In football or rugby, if a player is shown the red card, the referee holds up a red card to indicate that the player must leave the pitch for breaking the rules.re|port card (report cards)
1 [N-COUNT]
A report card is an official written account of how well or how badly a pupil has done during the term or year that has just finished. (AM; in BRIT, use report)
The only time I got their attention was when I brought home straight A's on my report card.
2 [N-COUNT]
A report card is a report on how well a person, organization, or country has been doing recently. (AM JOURNALISM)
The President today issued his final report card on the state of the economy.scratch card (scratch cards)
also scratchcard
[N-COUNT]
A scratch card is a card with hidden words or symbols on it. You scratch the surface off to reveal the words or symbols and find out if you have won a prize.SIM card /s'ɪm kɑːrd/ (SIM cards)
[N-COUNT]
A SIM card is a microchip in a mobile phone that connects it to a particular phone network. SIM is an abbreviation for `Subscriber Identity Module'.smart card (smart cards)
[N-COUNT]
A smart card is a plastic card which looks like a credit card and can store and process computer data.swipe card (swipe cards)
also swipecard
[N-COUNT]
A swipe card is a plastic card with a magnetic strip on it which contains information that can be read or transferred by passing the card through a special machine.
They use a swipe card to go in and out of their offices.wild card (wild cards)
also wildcard
1 [N-COUNT] oft N in n
If you refer to someone or something as a wild card in a particular situation, you mean that they cause uncertainty because you do not know how they will behave.
The wild card in the picture is eastern Europe.
2 [N-COUNT]
If a sports player is given a wild card for a particular competition, they are allowed to play in it, although they have not qualified for it in the usual way. You can also use wild card to refer to a player who enters a competition in this way.
3 [N-COUNT]
A wildcard is a symbol such as * or ? which is used in some computing commands or searches in order to represent any character or range of characters. (COMPUTING)yel|low card (yellow cards)
[N-COUNT] usu sing
In football or rugby, if a player is shown the yellow card, the referee holds up a yellow card to indicate that the player has broken the rules, and that if they do so again, they will be ordered to leave the pitch.