court card

noun

1. (in a pack of playing cards) a king, queen, or jack of any suit US equivalentface card

Word History and Origins

Origin of court card¹

C17: altered from earlier coat-card, from the decorative coats worn by the figures depicted

Example Sentences

Each suit would have had 13 cards, including three all-male court cards: the King, the Lieutenant, and the Second Lieutenant.

From National Geographic

Just like in a regular deck of cards, each suit has face or court cards — usually called king, queen, page and knight.

From New York Times

The minor arcana is similar to a standard deck of playing cards, separated into four suits containing 10 numbered cards and four court cards.

From Washington Times

There was one other student but I quickly ascertained that he was only at the meeting to get his court card signed.

From Salon

If these four court cards be four knaves, the hand is below the average; if four kings, or two kings, two queens, and a knave, it is about the average.

From Project Gutenberg