— cardinally , adv. — cardinalship , n.
/kahr"dn l/ , adj.
1. of prime importance; chief; principal: of cardinal significance.
2. of the color cardinal.
n.
3. Rom. Cath. Ch. a high ecclesiastic appointed by the pope to the College of Cardinals and ranking above every other ecclesiastic but the pope.
4. Also called cardinal grosbeak . a crested grosbeak, Cardinalis cardinalis, of North America, the male of which is bright red.
5. any of various similar birds.
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 a woman's short cloak with a hood, originally made of scarlet cloth and popularly worn in the 18th century.
8. See cardinal number .
[ bef. 1150; ME, OE cardinalis, equiv. to cardin- (s. of cardo ) hinge, hence, something on which other things hinge + -alis -AL 1 ]