Definition of "cardinal" in 英语

adjective

1. Of fundamental importance; crucial, pivotal.

   • a cardinal rule

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., zero, 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).

5. (astrology) Being one of the signs Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn, associated with initiation, creation, and force.

noun

1. (Roman Catholicism) One of the officials appointed by the pope in the Roman Catholic Church, ranking only below the pope, equal to the patriarchs, constituting the special college which elects the pope.

2. Any of various species of New-World passerine songbird in the genus Cardinalis, or in the family Cardinalidae more generally, or of similar appearance and once considered to be related to the former; so called because of their red plumage. (See Wikipedia article for taxonomical information.)

3. A deep red color, somewhat less vivid than scarlet, the traditional colour of a Catholic cardinal's cassock. (same as cardinal red)

4. (mathematics) Ellipsis of cardinal number, a number indicating quantity, or the size of a set (e.g., 0, 1, 2, 3). (See Cardinal_number.)

5. (grammar) Ellipsis of cardinal numeral, a word used to represent a cardinal number.

   • The commonest numerals in Latin, as in English, are the "cardinals" […] and the "ordinals" […].

6. Ellipsis of cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis), a flowering plant.

7. Ellipsis of cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi), a freshwater fish.

8. (now historical) A woman's short cloak with a hood, originally made of scarlet cloth.

9. (obsolete) Mulled red wine.