Definition of CARDINAL

cardinal

Meanings

Plural: cardinals

Noun

  • (Roman Catholic Church) one of a group of more than 100 prominent bishops in the Sacred College who advise the Pope and elect new Popes
  • the number of elements in a mathematical set; denotes a quantity but not the order
  • a variable color averaging a vivid red
  • crested thick-billed North American finch having bright red plumage in the male
  • One of the officials appointed by the pope in the Roman Catholic Church, ranking only below the pope, equal to the patriarchs, constituting the special college which elects the pope.
  • Any of various species of New-World passerine songbird in the genus Cardinalis, or in the family Cardinalidae more generally, or of similar appearance and once considered to be related to the former; so called because of their red plumage. (See Wikipedia article for taxonomical information.)
  • A deep red color, somewhat less vivid than scarlet, the traditional colour of a Catholic cardinal's cassock. (same as cardinal red)
  • Ellipsis of cardinal number, a number indicating quantity, or the size of a set (e.g., 0, 1, 2, 3). (See Cardinal_number.)
  • Ellipsis of cardinal numeral, a word used to represent a cardinal number.
  • Ellipsis of cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis), a flowering plant.
  • Ellipsis of cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi), a freshwater fish.
  • A woman's short cloak with a hood, originally made of scarlet cloth.
  • Mulled red wine.

Adjective Satellite

  • serving as an essential component
    • "a cardinal rule"

Adjective

  • being or denoting a numerical quantity but not order
    • "cardinal numbers"

Adj

  • Of fundamental importance; crucial, pivotal.
  • Of or relating to the cardinal directions (north, south, east and west).
  • Describing a “natural” number used to indicate quantity (e.g., zero, one, two, three), as opposed to an ordinal number indicating relative position.
  • Having a bright red color (from the color of a Catholic cardinal’s cassock).
  • Being one of the signs Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn, associated with initiation, creation, and force.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle French cardinal, from Latin cardinālis (“pertaining to a hinge, hence applied to that on which something turns or depends, important, principal, chief”), from cardin-, cardō (“hinge”) + -ālis, adjectival suffix.

Synonyms

cardinal grosbeak, cardinal number, cardinalid, Cardinalis cardinalis, carmine, central, fundamental, key, primal, redbird, Richmondena Cardinalis

Antonyms

ordinal

Scrabble Score: 11

cardinal is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
cardinal is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
cardinal is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 14

cardinal is a valid Words With Friends word