CARD

n. & v. --n. 1 thick stiff paper or thin pasteboard. 2 a a flat piece of this, esp. for writing or printing on. b = POSTCARD. c a card used to send greetings, issue an invitation, etc. (birthday card). d = visiting-card. e = business card. f a ticket of admission or membership. 3 a = PLAYING-CARD. b a similar card in a set designed for particular games, e.g. happy families. c (in pl.) card-playing; a card-game. 4 (in pl.) colloq. an employee's documents, esp. for tax and national insurance, held by the employer. 5 a a programme of events at a race-meeting etc. b Cricket a score-card. c a list of holes on a golf course, on which a player's scores are entered. 6 colloq. a person, esp. an odd or amusing one (what a card!; a knowing card). 7 a plan or expedient (sure card). 8 a printed or written notice, set of rules, etc., for display. 9 a small rectangular piece of plastic issued by a bank, building society, etc., with personal (often machine-readable) data on it, chiefly to obtain cash or credit (cheque card; credit card; do you have a card?). --v.tr. 1 fix to a card. 2 write on a card, esp. for indexing. øask for (or get) one's cards ask (or be told) to leave one's employment. card-carrying being a registered member of an organization, esp. a political party or trade union. card-game a game in which playing-cards are used. card index an index in which each item is entered on a separate card. card-index v.tr. make a card index of. card-playing the playing of card-games. card-sharp (or -sharper) a swindler at card-games. card-table a table for card-playing, esp. a folding one. card up one's sleeve a plan in reserve. card vote US a block vote, esp. in trade-union meetings. on (US in) the cards possible or likely. put (or lay) one's cards on the table reveal one's resources, intentions, etc. [ME f. OF carte f. L charta f. Gk khartes papyrus-leaf]