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View synonyms for

cardinal

[ kahr-dn-l ]

noun

  1. Roman Catholic Church. a high ecclesiastic appointed by the pope to the College of Cardinals and ranking above every other ecclesiastic but the pope.
  2. any bird belonging to the genus Cardinalis of the family Cardinalidae (cardinal family), especially the common northern cardinal of North America, the male of which is bright red.
  3. any bird of the Americas belonging to the genus Piranga, Chlorothraupis, or Habia, including the scarlet tanager: these three genera were long considered part of the tanager family but are now classified as members of the cardinal family.
  4. Also called red-head·ed car·di·nal [red, -hed-id , kahr, -dn-l]. any bird belonging to the genus Paroaria of the tanager family (Thraupidae), noted for drab plumage other than conspicuously red head parts: most common in South America, Paroaria species include the prominently crested P. coronata, which has been successfully introduced to Puerto Rico and Hawaii.
  5. Also called Med·i·ter·ra·ne·an frit·il·lar·y [med-i-t, uh, -, rey, -nee-, uh, n , frit, -l-er-ee]. a spotted, orange nymphalid butterfly with a green underside, Argynnis pandora, found throughout southern Europe and some adjoining regions of Asia and northern Africa.
  6. a deep, rich red color.
  7. a woman's short cloak with a hood, originally made of scarlet cloth and popularly worn in the 18th century.


adjective

  1. of prime importance; chief; principal:

    of cardinal significance.

  2. of the color cardinal.

cardinal

/ ˈɑːɪə /

noun

  1. RC Church any of the members of the Sacred College, ranking next after the pope, who elect the pope and act as his chief counsellors
  2. Also calledcardinal red a deep vivid red colour
  3. Also calledcardinal grosbeakUSredbird a crested North American bunting, Richmondena (or Pyrrhuloxia ) cardinalis, the male of which has a bright red plumage and the female a brown one
  4. a fritillary butterfly, Pandoriana pandora, found in meadows of southern Europe
  5. a woman's hooded shoulder cape worn in the 17th and 18th centuries
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. usually prenominal fundamentally important; principal

    cardinal sin

  2. of a deep vivid red colour
  3. astrology of or relating to the signs Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn Compare mutable fixed
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈ徱Բ, adverb
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Other Word Forms

  • ·徱·Բ· adverb
  • ·徱·Բ·󾱱 noun
  • ·ٱ··徱·Բ adjective
  • Dz··徱·Բ adjective
  • ܲ··徱·Բ adjective
  • sub··徱·Բ· adverb
  • un··徱·Բ· adverb
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Word History and Origins

Origin of cardinal1

First recorded before 1150; Middle English, Old English, from Latin 徱, equivalent to cardin- (stem of ō ) “hinge,” hence, something on which other things hinge + - adjective suffix; -al 1
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Word History and Origins

Origin of cardinal1

C13: from Latin 徱, literally: relating to a hinge, hence, that on which something depends, principal, from ō hinge
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

He also remembered a conversation from his teenage years when his uncle was a cardinal, recalling it as the best advice he ever received on how to make the world a better place.

From

Half an hour later, at 09:00 local time, patriarchs from the Orthodox church and cardinals will congregate in Saint Sebastian Chapel, inside the basilica, where the remains of Pope John Paul II lie.

From

Retired Californian couples fanned themselves under the square's colonnades, and journalists from around the world shouted questions in shaky Italian at any cardinal who looked like they may have a vote in the upcoming conclave.

From

Theoretically, any baptised man can be elected as pope, but a cardinal, all of whom are serving archbishops ordained by a pontiff, is usually picked.

From

He has about two more years before he has to send the next pope the letter of resignation required of all bishops and cardinals when they turn 75.

From

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card incardinalate