face card

noun

1. the king, queen, or jack of playing cards.

face card

noun

1. (in a pack of playing cards) a king, queen, or jack of any suit Also called (in Britain and certain other countries)court card

Word History and Origins

Origin of face card¹

First recorded in 1665–75

Example Sentences

That sums up the Supreme Court’s unenviable hand, which doesn’t contain as much as a face card, let alone an ace.

From Los Angeles Times

Only in this season, they're face card games, pitting players against seemingly invincible Jacks, Kings and Queens.

From Salon

If you have two face cards or a hand like K10, on the other hand, you should almost always stay in to see the flop.

From Golf Digest

When a dealer is showing a face card, proper strategy suggests a player should always hit on 16.

From Seattle Times

He told the boys that by playing with face cards, they were summoning Satan and told them to go pray for an hour.

From The Verge