cardinal
noun/ˈkɑːdɪnl/
/ˈkɑːrdɪnl/
- a priest of the highest rank in the Roman Catholic Church. Cardinals elect and advise the Pope.
- Cardinal Newman
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- (also cardinal number)a number, such as 1, 2 and 3 (or one, two and three), used to show quantity rather than order compare ordinalTopics Maths and measurementc2, Languagec2
- a North American bird. The male cardinal is bright red.Topics Birdsc2
Word OriginOld English, from Latin cardinalis, from cardo, cardin- ‘hinge’. Sense (1) has arisen through the notion of the important function of such priests as “pivots” of church life.
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