cardinal

      See also Cardinal

      English

      WOTD – 11 June 2006    
      Wikipedia has an article on:

      Wikipedia

      Etymology

      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

      Adjective

      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

      of fundamental importance
      of or relating to the cardinal directions
      describing a number that indicates quantity
      having a bright red color
      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.
      Translations to be checked

      Noun

      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

      number
      official in Catholic Church
      bird Cardinalis cardinalis
      any bird in family Cardinalidae
      colour
      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.
      Translations to be checked

      Derived terms

      See also

      Anagrams

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      French

      Etymology

      Latin cardinalis

      Pronunciation

      • IPA: /kaʁ.diˈnal/

      Adjective

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

      1. important, paramount
      2. (mathematics) cardinal

      Noun

      cardinal m (plural cardinaux)

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

      Noun

      cardinal m (invariable)

      1. cardinal (color)
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      Italian

      Noun

      cardinal m (invariable)

      1. apocopic form of cardinale

      Anagrams

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      Middle French

      Noun

      cardinal m (plural cardinauls)

      1. (Christianity) cardinal
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      Spanish

      Pronunciation

      • IPA: /ka̠ɾ.diˈna̠l/

      Etymology

      From Latin cardināli, singular ablative of cardinālis.

      Adjective

      cardinal m and f (plural cardinales)

      1. cardinal crucial, pivotal (for few cases)
      Derived terms
      Related terms
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      Last modified on 18 June 2013, at 13:10