card

A small, flat piece of stiff paper or plastic, often showing information.

• Show me your card.
• She sent him a birthday card.
• I keep my membership cards in my wallet.

Common phrases: identity card, credit card, birthday card, business card

Games played with small printed pieces of stiff paper.

• We play cards after dinner.
• They spent the evening playing cards.
• Would you like a game of cards?

How to use it: play cards (My grandparents play cards every Friday.)

Similar words: card games

Common phrases: play cards, game of cards

An argument or advantage used to get what you want.

• She played the sympathy card.
• He kept one useful card for the final negotiations.
• Their strongest card was the promise of new jobs.

How to use it: play the … card (He played the family card to win sympathy.)

Similar words: tactic, advantage

Common phrases: play a card, sympathy card, race card, trump card

To check someone’s identity document, usually to see whether they are old enough to buy alcohol.

• They card everyone at this bar.
• The cashier carded me when I bought beer.
• Have you ever been carded at a restaurant?

Similar words: check someone’s ID

Common phrases: card someone, card at something

To achieve a particular score in a sport, especially golf.

• She carded a seventy in the first round.
• He carded three birdies before lunch.
• The golfer hopes to card a lower score tomorrow.

Similar words: score, record

Common phrases: card a score, card a sixty, card three birdies

To brush wool, other fibres, or an animal’s coat to remove dirt and knots.

• We card the wool before spinning it.
• She carded the tangled fleece by hand.
• The groom carefully carded the horse’s coat.

Similar words: comb

Common phrases: card wool, card the fibres, card a horse