card

I. transitive verb Date: 14th century to cleanse, disentangle, and collect together (as fibers) by the use of cards preparatory to spinning • carder noun II. noun Etymology: Middle English carde, from Medieval Latin cardus, carduus, thistle, carding instrument, from Latin carduus thistle — more at chard Date: 15th century 1. an instrument or machine for carding fibers that consists usually of bent wire teeth set closely in rows in a thick piece of leather fastened to a back 2. an implement for raising a nap on cloth III. noun Etymology: Middle English carde, from Anglo-French, alteration of Middle French carte, probably from Old Italian carta, literally, leaf of paper, from Latin charta leaf of papyrus, from Greek chartēs Date: 15th century 1. playing card 2. plural but singular or plural in construction a. a game played with cards b. card playing 3. a. something (as an advantage) compared to a valuable playing card in one's hand <

holding all the cards in negotiations

> b. an issue especially with emotional appeal that is brought into play to achieve a desired end (as winning a political campaign) <

played the race card

> 4. a usually clownishly amusing person ; wag <

he's such a card

> 5. compass card 6. a. a flat stiff usually small and rectangular piece of material (as paper, cardboard, or plastic) usually bearing information: as (1) postcard (2) visiting card (3) business card (4) credit card (5) one bearing a picture (as of a baseball player) on one side and usually statistical data on the other (6) one on which computer information is stored (as in the form of punched holes or magnetic encoding) (7) one bearing electronic circuit components for insertion into a larger electronic device (as a computer) b. program; especially a sports program <

three fights on the card

> c. (1) a wine list (2) menu d. greeting card <

a birthday card

> IV. transitive verb Date: 1884 1. to place or fasten on or by means of a card 2. to provide with a card 3. to list or record on a card 4. score <

a golfer carding a 75

> 5. to ask for identification (as in a bar) <

we all got carded

> V. abbreviation cardinal