n.
Pronunciation: ' kärd-n ə l, ' kär-d ə -
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin cardinalis, from Late Latin cardinalis, adjective
Date: 12th century
1 : a high ecclesiastical official of the Roman Catholic Church who ranks next below the pope and is appointed by him to assist him as a member of the college of cardinals
2 : CARDINAL NUMBER ― usually used in plural
3 [from its color, resembling that of the cardinal's robes] : a crested finch ( Cardinalis cardinalis of the family Cardinalidae) of the eastern U.S. and adjacent Canada, the southwestern U.S., and Mexico to Belize which has a black face and heavy red bill in both sexes and is nearly completely red in the male
– car · di · nal · ship \ - ˌ ship \ noun
cardinal 3