cardinal
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
See also Cardinal
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[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
From Middle English cardinal (“‘important, chief’”) < Latin cardinalis (“‘pertaining to a hinge, hence applied to that on which something turns or depends, important, principal, chief’”) < cardo (“‘hinge’”) + -alis (“‘adjectival suffix’”).
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Adjective
cardinal (comparative more cardinal, superlative most cardinal)
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Positive |
Comparative |
Superlative |
- Of fundamental importance.
- a cardinal rule
- a cardinal direction
- (nautical) Of or relating to the cardinal directions
- Describing a number used in counting, e.g., one, two, three.
- (color/colour) Having a bright red color (from the color of Catholic cardinals' cassock).
[edit] Translations
of fundamental importance
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of or relating to the cardinal directions
describing a number that indicates quantity
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having a bright red color
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked
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[edit] Noun
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Singular |
Plural |
cardinal (plural cardinals)
- A number indicating quantity, or the size of a set, e.g., one, two, three. (See Wikipedia article on Cardinal number.)
- The commonest numerals in Latin, as in English, are the "cardinals"...and the "ordinals"... — F. M. Wheelock, Wheelock’s Latin, 6th ed. revised (2005), p97
- An official in the Catholic Church, ranking only below the Pope and the patriarchs. (See Wikipedia article on Catholic cardinals.)
- A songbird of the finch family, Cardinalis cardinalis.
- Any of various related passerine birds of the family Cardinalidae. (See Wikipedia article on cardinal birds.)
- (color/colour) A shade of red associated with the birds of the same name.
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cardinal colour:
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[edit] Translations
number
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official in Catholic Church
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bird Cardinalis cardinalis
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any bird in family Cardinalidae
colour
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked
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[edit] Derived terms
[edit] See also
- Contrast with ordinal (numbers)
- Appendix:Colours
[edit] Anagrams
[edit] Italian
[edit] Noun
cardinal m.
