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.
- check ID
a phrasal alternative that is more neutral in register; 'card' is more informal
文法句型
card + person
get + carded
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
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.
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.
用法筆記
Frequently used in compounds: 'credit card', 'debit card', 'ID card', 'bank card', 'access card', 'membership card'. The specific compound names the card's purpose.
常見錯誤
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.
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.
- playing card
full form, less common in everyday speech
- deck
refers to the whole set, not a single card
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
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.
用法筆記
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.
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.
- greeting card
more formal; often used in shops and catalogues
- note
a short written message; not folded like a card, and usually simpler
用法筆記
The specific occasion or purpose is named in a compound: 'birthday card', 'Christmas card', 'get-well card', 'thank-you card', 'congratulations card'.
常見錯誤
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.
- postcard
the full compound form; 'card' alone can be ambiguous
用法筆記
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.
The designer printed her business cards on thick cream paper with raised silver letters.
- calling card
dated term, rarely used today
用法筆記
Often used in the plural ('business cards') when referring to a person's printed supply. 'Give someone your card' is a common shorter alternative.
常見錯誤
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.
Apinya brought her favourite football cards to school to show her friends.
- trading card
the more general term; 'card' alone is often understood from context
- collector's card
emphasises the hobby aspect; slightly less common
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
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.
- cardboard
thicker and more rigid than card; used for packaging boxes
- paperboard
technical term; less common in everyday speech
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
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.
- 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
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
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.
At the wedding, Sumin was the card of the evening, doing impressions of the guests.
文法句型
usually singular: a card / quite a card
用法筆記
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.