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-head·ed car·di·nal [red, -hed-id , kahr, -dn-l]. 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 Med·i·ter·ra·ne·an frit·il·lar·y [med-i-t, uh, -, rey, -nee-, uh, n , frit, -l-er-ee]. 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 a woman's short cloak with a hood, originally made of scarlet cloth and popularly worn in the 18th century.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 calledcardinal red a deep vivid red colour
3. See cardinal number
4. Also calledcardinal grosbeakUSredbird 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

Derived Forms

• ˈcardinally, adverb

Other Words From

• car·di·nal·ly adverb
• car·di·nal·ship noun
• in·ter·car·di·nal adjective
• post·car·di·nal adjective
• sub·car·di·nal adjective
• sub·car·di·nal·ly adverb
• un·car·di·nal·ly 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

When Marie Antoinette, who had no knowledge of the transaction, was contacted about the absence of the final payment, the cardinal was arrested but declared innocent.

From BBC

Jeanne de la Motte, a noblewoman fallen on hard times, pretended to be French Queen and tricked a cardinal into giving her the necklace, without paying.

From BBC

There’s a lot of in-fighting and manipulation, with several cardinals vying for the position, including Stanley Tucci’s Cardinal Bellini, Sergio Castellitto’s Cardinal Tedesco and John Lithgow’s Cardinal Tremblay.

From Los Angeles Times

“I’ll never forget sitting in my house and all of a sudden this big cardinal Cadillac comes up,” Munoz said.

From Los Angeles Times

While Dolan’s office said New York was “blessed with the greatest bagel stores in the world,” the cardinal waffled on announcing from which establishment he would be buying the goods.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• overriding