card
card — verb
1. to demand that a person produce official identification before you allow them to
to demand that a person produce official identification before you allow them to buy alcohol, enter a venue, or do something else that has a minimum age requirement.
The doorman carded Vivek at the entrance before letting him into the bar.
active: [person] cards [someone] at [location]
Antonia got carded when she tried to buy a bottle of wine at the supermarket.
passive: get carded when buying age-restricted items
The security guard carded everyone who looked under thirty at the concert entrance.
Bartenders in this state are trained to card any customer who appears younger than forty.
Shirin showed her passport when the clerk carded her at the hotel counter.
- card someone at the door
- card a customer
- get carded buying alcohol
- carded at the entrance
- check ID
a phrasal alternative that is more neutral in register; 'card' is more informal
Grammar Patterns
card + person
get + carded
Usage Note
Commonly used in the passive form 'get carded.' The active subject is typically a person in a position of authority, such as a bouncer, bartender, or store clerk.
Common Mistakes
card — noun
1. a small flat item made of plastic or thick paper that carries your identity deta
a small flat item made of plastic or thick paper that carries your identity details and gives you the ability to pay, withdraw cash, or go into a restricted area
Talia paid for the meal with her credit card at the restaurant.
collocation: credit card / debit card / bank card
You need to show your student card to enter the library after nine o'clock.
The security guard asked to see my ID card before letting me into the building.
collocation: ID card / identity card
Padma forgot her bank card, so she could not take any money from the machine.
All staff must carry an access card to open the doors in the office building.
collocation: access card / membership card
- credit card
- debit card
- bank card
- ID card
- student card
- membership card
- access card
- pay by card
Usage Note
Frequently used in compounds: 'credit card', 'debit card', 'ID card', 'bank card', 'access card', 'membership card'. The specific compound names the card's purpose.
Common Mistakes
2. any of the 52 pieces of thick cardboard in a standard deck, each printed with a
any of the 52 pieces of thick cardboard in a standard deck, each printed with a face value alongside a suit mark such as hearts or spades, used when playing games
Chidi shuffled the deck and dealt seven cards to each player around the table.
collocation: a deck / pack of cards; deal cards
Jin shuffled the deck carefully and dealt seven cards for a game of Go Fish.
collocation: shuffle / deal cards + standard deck
Trang drew a card from the pile and smiled when she saw the ace.
collocation: draw a card
Each card in the deck has one of four symbols hearts, clubs, diamonds, or spades.
Ziad picked up his cards and arranged them by suit from smallest to largest.
collocation: by suit
- deck of cards
- pack of cards
- deal cards
- shuffle the cards
- draw a card
- by suit
- ace of spades
- playing card
full form, less common in everyday speech
- deck
refers to the whole set, not a single card
Usage Note
Often used in the plural ('cards') when referring to the set as a whole. A 'deck of cards' or 'pack of cards' contains the complete set of 52.
Common Mistakes
3. an activity in which people use a standard set of 52 pieces to compete or play t
an activity in which people use a standard set of 52 pieces to compete or play together, for instance poker, bridge, or whist
Andrés taught his roommate how to play two different card games in one evening.
countable: card game — a type of game
My grandparents meet every Friday for an afternoon of cards and good conversation.
The most popular card game at our club is poker, but older members prefer bridge.
Noor learned to play cards from her grandfather when she was just seven years old.
uncountable: play cards = play card games in general
- play cards
- a game of cards
- card game
- win at cards
Usage Note
Can be used as a countable noun ('a card game' = one type of game) or uncountable ('play cards' = play card games generally). Do not confuse with sense 2 (one individual playing card).
4. a sheet of thick paper folded down the middle, with an image covering the front
a sheet of thick paper folded down the middle, with an image covering the front side and a personal note written inside, sent to someone for a celebration or event
Hui sent a birthday card with a hand-written message inside for her grandmother.
collocation: birthday card / Christmas card / get-well card
The shop on the corner sells handmade cards for every occasion from weddings to holidays.
Élise received a thank-you card from the family she stayed with in Paris.
collocation: thank-you card / congratulations card
We always send cards to our relatives who live abroad during the New Year holiday.
Iris bought a funny card with a cartoon dog for her best friend's birthday.
- birthday card
- Christmas card
- get-well card
- thank-you card
- send a card
- sign a card
- greeting card
more formal; often used in shops and catalogues
- note
a short written message; not folded like a card, and usually simpler
Usage Note
The specific occasion or purpose is named in a compound: 'birthday card', 'Christmas card', 'get-well card', 'thank-you card', 'congratulations card'.
Common Mistakes
5. a printed piece of card stock with an image on its front face, designed to be wr
a printed piece of card stock with an image on its front face, designed to be written on and mailed without being placed inside an envelope
Trang sent a postcard of the harbour to her cousin who lives in Taipei.
postcard + of + [picture subject]
Iris collects postcards from every city she visits during her travels abroad.
Instead of a letter, Pim wrote a message on a postcard and mailed it home.
The postcards from the mountain village showed beautiful views of the lake and forest.
- send a postcard
- postcard of
- write on a postcard
- mail a postcard
- picture postcard
- postcard
the full compound form; 'card' alone can be ambiguous
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 4 (greeting card): postcards have no envelope or fold, and the writing shares the same side as the address. Often shortened to just 'card' in informal speech.
6. a compact piece of card stock bearing a person's full name, professional title,
a compact piece of card stock bearing a person's full name, professional title, employer, and contact information, offered to others for professional networking
The architect handed Andrés a business card after their meeting about the new building.
collocation: hand / give someone a business card
Megan printed new business cards with her updated phone number and email address.
Chidi keeps his business cards in a small leather holder inside his bag.
At the conference, people exchanged business cards and promised to follow up by email.
collocation: exchange business cards
The designer printed her business cards on thick cream paper with raised silver letters.
- business card
- exchange cards
- hand someone a card
- print cards
- stack of cards
- calling card
dated term, rarely used today
Usage Note
Often used in the plural ('business cards') when referring to a person's printed supply. 'Give someone your card' is a common shorter alternative.
Common Mistakes
7. a collectible item made from stiff paper or card, featuring a picture and detail
a collectible item made from stiff paper or card, featuring a picture and details of a sports star, character, or celebrity, designed in a series that fans collect, swap, or use to play games.
Benjamin traded his duplicate baseball card for one he did not own yet.
collocation: baseball card / trading card + collect + trade
Mert keeps his collection of Pokémon cards in a special album with plastic sleeves.
collocation: Pokémon cards + collection + album
The corner store sells packs of trading cards for about two dollars each.
Sade's older brother has a rare basketball card worth over five hundred dollars.
adjective pattern: rare + card, worth + amount
Apinya brought her favourite football cards to school to show her friends.
- baseball card
- football card
- trading card
- Pokémon card
- collector's card
- rare card
- duplicate card
- pack of cards
- trading card
the more general term; 'card' alone is often understood from context
- collector's card
emphasises the hobby aspect; slightly less common
Usage Note
Often used in compounds naming the sport or theme (baseball card, Pokémon card, football card). A card's value depends on its rarity, condition, and demand among collectors.
Common Mistakes
8. a thick, stiff material made from pressed paper fibres, used for making boxes, f
a thick, stiff material made from pressed paper fibres, used for making boxes, folders, signs, and craft projects; can also refer to a single rectangular piece of this material for writing or drawing on.
The children made a model castle from sheets of thick card and glue.
uncountable: sheets of card
Élise drew her design on a piece of white card before cutting it out.
countable: a piece of card
The poster was printed on heavy card so it would stand up by itself.
Store important documents flat between two large pieces of card.
Chidi cut a name tag from a piece of card and pinned it on.
- sheet of card
- piece of card
- thick card
- white card
- heavy card
- card stock
- made of card
- cardboard
thicker and more rigid than card; used for packaging boxes
- paperboard
technical term; less common in everyday speech
Usage Note
Uncountable when referring to the material itself (a sheet of card; made of card). Countable only when meaning a specific piece (hand me that card). This sense describes the material, not a greeting card, playing card, or ID card — those are different senses despite the same shape.
Common Mistakes
9. a thin board fitted with electronic components that slots into a computer to add
a thin board fitted with electronic components that slots into a computer to add or improve a specific function, such as displaying images, playing sound, or connecting to a network.
Asher installed a new graphics card to play the latest games smoothly.
collocation: graphics card + install + for gaming
The sound card in Elena's computer stopped working, so she heard no audio.
collocation: sound card + stop working
You can add a network card to let the old desktop connect without cables.
Gabriel opened the computer case and pushed the memory card firmly into its slot.
Most modern laptops have no slots for extra cards because those functions are built in.
- graphics card
- sound card
- network card
- memory card
- expansion card
- video card
- install a card
- card slot
- compatible card
- expansion card
more technical; emphasises that the card expands the computer's abilities
- circuit board
broader term; any board with circuits, not necessarily one that slots into a computer
- add-in card
less common; used in technical manuals
Usage Note
Also called an expansion card or board. Always specify the function (graphics card, sound card, network card) for clarity. Check that a card's slot type matches the computer's motherboard before buying.
Common Mistakes
10. an amusing, unusual, or slightly odd person whose behaviour makes others laugh o
an amusing, unusual, or slightly odd person whose behaviour makes others laugh or feel surprised, especially in a lively or playful way.
Uncle Benjamin is such a card — he always tells the funniest jokes at family dinners.
structure: be such a card
Our neighbor Maja is a bit of a card who says odd things but never means harm.
structure: a bit of a card
The new teacher was such a card — the class laughed all through her first lesson.
structure: quite a card
At the wedding, Sumin was the card of the evening, doing impressions of the guests.
- quite a card
- such a card
- a bit of a card
- old card
Grammar Patterns
usually singular: a card / quite a card
Usage Note
Always informal. Used almost exclusively with the verbs be and become, often with intensifiers (quite a card, such a card, a bit of a card). Describes someone affectionately amusing rather than truly odd or troubling.
Common Mistakes
Something that gives someone an advantage over others in a situation.
Min's fluency in Mandarin was her strongest card in the job interview.
The company's winning card is its innovative technology.
You are unlikely to succeed because conditions are unfavorable.
With no experience and few connections, the cards were stacked against Sara.
Diego knew the odds were stacked against him, but he tried anyway.
You are likely to succeed because conditions are good and you have an advantage.
With her strong grades and recommendations, the cards are stacked in Maya's favour.
The odds are stacked in your favour if you prepare well.
get your cards
idiomTo be told to leave a job.
After the budget cuts, twenty workers got their cards last Friday.
Brian got his cards when the company downsized.
To make someone leave their job.
The manager gave Tom his cards after the repeated mistakes.
They gave her cards without any warning.
To have a secret plan or idea that will give you an advantage when needed.
Aiden always has a card up his sleeve during negotiations.
Sara had a card up her sleeve for the final round.
hold all the cards
idiomTo be in a position of control because you have an advantage over others.
In the merger talks, the larger company held all the cards.
With the only key, the guard held all the cards.
To keep your plans or ideas secret.
Maya kept her cards close to her chest during the meeting.
Diego played his cards close to his chest, revealing nothing.
To tell someone honestly what your plans or ideas are.
Brian laid his cards on the table and explained his intentions.
Let's put our cards on the table and discuss this openly.
on the cards
idiomLikely to happen.
A promotion is on the cards for Min after her excellent work.
With the new policy, layoffs are on the cards.
play the… card
idiomTo mention a particular subject or idea to gain an advantage.
During the debate, he played the race card to win support.
She played the gender card in her argument.
To handle a situation well in order to achieve what you want.
If you play your cards right, you might get the scholarship.
Sara played her cards right and got the promotion.
show your cards/hand
idiomTo make your plans or intentions known.
The negotiator refused to show his cards too early.
Maya showed her hand when she revealed the budget.
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
All four terms refer to items that grant access or prove identity, but they differ in form and context. An 'ID card' (or just 'ID') is a rectangular card with a photo and personal details, used to prove who you are — think of a driver's licence or student ID. A 'badge' is typically a smaller item clipped to clothing, often with a photo and logo, worn visibly at work or events (a name badge, a police badge). A 'pass' is a card, paper slip, or digital code that lets you enter somewhere or use a service, but it does not always carry personal identity information — a metro pass or a backstage pass. A 'key card' is a plastic card with a magnetic stripe or chip that unlocks a door, such as a hotel room or office entrance; it focuses on physical access rather than identity. In short: ID card = who you are; badge = visible identification worn on clothing; pass = permission to enter/use; key card = physical access. Example: 'Show your ID card at reception' (identity check), 'The guard asked to see my badge' (workplace identification), 'Buy a day pass for the pool' (entry permission), 'I left my key card in the hotel room' (door access).
Common collocations
Nouns
- card reader
- card payment
- card number
- card holder
- card games
- card tricks
Phrases
- credit card
- gift card
- business card
- greeting card
- debit card
- ID card
- playing card
- deck of cards
- pack of cards
- card game
- play cards
- get carded
- lucky card
- wild card
- show your cards
- put your cards on the table
- hold all the cards
Prepositions
- by card
- on a card
- in cards
Etymology
The word 'card' traces back through Old French 'carte' to Latin 'charta', meaning a leaf of papyrus or a piece of paper. Latin borrowed it from Greek 'χάρτης' (chartēs), which referred to a sheet of papyrus. In Middle English, 'card' first referred specifically to playing cards (15th century), then broadened to include greeting cards and business cards (19th century). The meaning of a stiff paper material emerged alongside these uses. The modern sense of an ID or payment card appeared in the mid-20th century, and the verb sense 'to check someone's ID' developed in American English in the 1970s. The computing sense (graphics card, sound card) arose in the 1980s from the shape of early circuit boards, which resembled rectangular cards.