Word of the Day: Card
A card is usually a stiff, durable piece of paper or cardboard that has important information on it. Because a card is used over and over again, it has to be made of strong material.
- Business people hand out business cards to promote themselves or the company that they work for.
- Playing cards are used for card games such as poker and blackjack.
- What kinds of card games do you know how to play?
- A magician does tricks with cards.
- Board games often include cards with information or directions as part of the game.
- Students receive report cards that reflect their progress and performance in school.
- A credit card is used to make purchases that are paid for at a later date.
- When a repair person or technician shows up at your house to do work, he or she might show you a card as a form of identification.
- Let me show you my card.
There are many different cards that are sent out in the mail or delivered directly to a person to commemorate an event:
- Greeting cards are sent out to family and friends during the holidays.
- Birthday cards are given to a person celebrating a birthday.
- People who celebrate a wedding anniversary receive anniversary cards.
- A person who experiences a death in his or her family might receive a sympathy card.
In some cases, the word “card” is used as a verb. This happens whenever a person must show identification or a driver’s license as proof of age:
- Angela and her friends were carded when they entered the bar. (They had to show that they were older than 21 to enter.)
- Some liquor stores card all customers to insure that they are old enough to buy merchandise.
There are some expressions that use the word “card.”
- Peter says he’s going to lay all his cards on the table. (He’s going to be totally honest.)
- Lisa is a card-carrying member of the A.C.L.U. (She’s a member of the group. This can sound like a negative situation.)
- Roger is a card-carrying member of the N.R.A.
- Todd isn’t playing with a full deck of cards. (He’s not very smart or he’s a little mentally unstable.)
- The company has decided to play a wild card in order to avoid closing. (To play a wild card is to take a risk or exploit an opportunity)
Essential English Dictionary
Visit the Popular English Words Beginning with C page to see the list of all words starting with letter C. For seeing the HiCafe dictionary, visit the Popular English Words with Meaning page.
