cardinal

[kahr-dn-l]

noun

1. Roman Catholic Church.,  a high ecclesiastic appointed by the pope to the College of Cardinals and ranking above every other ecclesiastic but the pope.

2. any bird belonging to the genus Cardinalis of the family Cardinalidae (cardinal family), especially the common northern cardinal of North America, the male of which is bright red.

3. any bird of the Americas belonging to the genus Piranga, Chlorothraupis, or Habia, including the scarlet tanager: these three genera were long considered part of the tanager family but are now classified as members of the cardinal family.

4. Also called red-headed cardinal. any bird belonging to the genus Paroaria of the tanager family (Thraupidae), noted for drab plumage other than conspicuously red head parts: most common in South America, Paroaria species include the prominently crested P. coronata, which has been successfully introduced to Puerto Rico and Hawaii.

5. Also called Mediterranean fritillary. a spotted, orange nymphalid butterfly with a green underside, Argynnis pandora, found throughout southern Europe and some adjoining regions of Asia and northern Africa.

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 a woman's short cloak with a hood, originally made of scarlet cloth and popularly worn in the 18th century.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. cardinal number.

adjective

1. of prime importance; chief; principal.

   of cardinal significance.

2. of the color cardinal.

cardinal

/ ˈkɑːdɪnəl /

noun

1. RC Church any of the members of the Sacred College, ranking next after the pope, who elect the pope and act as his chief counsellors

2. Also called: cardinal red. a deep vivid red colour

3. See cardinal number

4. Also called: cardinal grosbeak.  redbird. a crested North American bunting, Richmondena (or Pyrrhuloxia ) cardinalis, the male of which has a bright red plumage and the female a brown one

5. a fritillary butterfly, Pandoriana pandora, found in meadows of southern Europe

6. a woman's hooded shoulder cape worn in the 17th and 18th centuries

adjective

1. (usually prenominal) fundamentally important; principal

   cardinal sin

2. of a deep vivid red colour

3. astrology of or relating to the signs Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn Compare mutable fixed

Other Word Forms

• cardinally adverb
• cardinalship noun
• intercardinal adjective
• postcardinal adjective
• subcardinal adjective
• subcardinally adverb
• uncardinally adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of cardinal¹

First recorded before 1150; Middle English, Old English, from Latin cardinālis, equivalent to cardin- (stem of cardō ) “hinge,” hence, something on which other things hinge + -ālis adjective suffix; -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of cardinal¹

C13: from Latin cardinālis, literally: relating to a hinge, hence, that on which something depends, principal, from cardō hinge

Example Sentences

His kids had grown up wearing cardinal and gold.

From Los Angeles Times

John Henry Newman was first made a cardinal in 1879 by Pope Leo XIII, a position he held for 11 years before his death.

From BBC

She had ceramic cardinals and bluejays on tables in the living room of her farmhouse in Illinois, where I’d spend every summer.

From Salon

"I committed the cardinal sin," reflects David Adams, 87, a widower who lives alone in Glasgow.

From BBC

Smith’s personal collection has climbed to more than 100 size 13s in all sorts of colors, including his favorite pair in cardinal and black, an homage to his USC roots.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• overriding