cardinal

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Contents

English [edit]

Wikipedia has an article on:

Wikipedia

Etymology [edit]

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

Pronunciation [edit]

Adjective [edit]

cardinal (comparative more cardinal, superlative most cardinal)

  1. Of fundamental importance; crucial, pivotal.
    a cardinal rule
    a cardinal direction
  2. (nautical) Of or relating to the cardinal directions (north, south, east and west).
    a cardinal mark
  3. Describing a "natural" number used to indicate quantity (e.g., one, two, three), as opposed to an ordinal number indicating relative position.
  4. Having a bright red color (from the color of a Catholic cardinal's cassock).

Translations [edit]

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.

Noun [edit]

cardinal (plural cardinals)

  1. 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
  2. An official in the Catholic Church, ranking only below the Pope and the patriarchs. (See Wikipedia article on Catholic cardinals.)
    • 1932, Maurice Baring, chapter 16, Friday's Business[1]:
      His uncle, a Cardinal, engages a Spanish youth of Moorish descent called Diego, an expert singer and player on the virginal, to unlock the secrets of the heart, [] and cure him by the spell of his music.
  3. A songbird of the finch family, Cardinalis cardinalis.
  4. Any of various related passerine birds of the family Cardinalidae. (See Wikipedia article on cardinal birds.)
    • 1907, Robert Chambers, chapter 5, The Younger Set[2]:
      Breezes blowing from beds of iris quickened her breath with their perfume ; … ; she saw a crimson cardinal winging through the foliage, and amorous tanagers flashing like scarlet flames athwart the pines.
  5. A shade of scarlet associated with the colour of a Catholic cardinal's cassock.
    cardinal colour:    
  6. A woman's short cloak with a hood.
    • Lloyd
      Where's your cardinal! Make haste.
  7. mulled red wine
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Hotten to this entry?)

Translations [edit]

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.

Derived terms [edit]

See also [edit]

Anagrams [edit]


French [edit]

Etymology [edit]

Latin cardinalis

Pronunciation [edit]

  • IPA: /kaʁ.diˈnal/

Adjective [edit]

cardinal m (feminine cardinale, masculine plural cardinaux, feminine plural cardinales)

  1. important, paramount
  2. (mathematics) cardinal

Noun [edit]

cardinal m (plural cardinaux)

  1. (religion) cardinal
  2. cardinal number
  3. cardinal (bird)

Noun [edit]

cardinal m (invariable)

  1. cardinal (color)

Italian [edit]

Noun [edit]

cardinal m (invariable)

  1. apocopic form of cardinale

Anagrams [edit]


Middle French [edit]

Noun [edit]

cardinal m (plural cardinauls)

  1. (Christianity) cardinal

Spanish [edit]

Pronunciation [edit]

  • IPA: /ka̠ɾ.diˈna̠l/

Etymology [edit]

From Latin cardināli, singular ablative of cardinālis.

Adjective [edit]

cardinal m and f (plural cardinales)

  1. cardinal crucial, pivotal (for few cases)
Derived terms [edit]
Related terms [edit]