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1 8.6
To comb and straighten wool or cotton fibers before spinning
  • verb
  • /kɑrd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : cardar
  • After she sheared the sheep, she began to card the fresh wool for spinning.
  • card wool
  • card and spin
  • card and weave

Examples

  • She washed, cooked, cleaned, and carded wool.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • It was enough to card, spin, and weave the plain wadmal cloth we needed.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • If you are willing to learn how to card, spin, and weave with your hands, you will have all that you need and want.

    Academic text (1998)
  • She sat in the shade of the tent, carding wool and sent Bathsheba off with the sheep.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • It was shearing time; they'd clipped half the flock that morning, which meant Julia would spend the coming days carding and tolling the wool.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • The artisan will card the cotton fibers to prepare them for fabric making.

  • In the workshop, they learned how to card the wool effectively before dyeing it.

Synonyms

to tease
vsto card
  • Specialized
25 6.8

To pull apart and loosen fibers by brushing or combing them

straighten and align fibers using a tool or machine rather than raising them

Idioms

10 7.8

To bring up race or accuse someone of racism to get support

1 8.5

To pretend to be treated unfairly to get sympathy or avoid blame

1 8.0

To mention someone's gender to gain an advantage in a discussion

8.3

To warn someone so they are ready for what will happen

8.4

To mention being a woman or man to avoid blame and get sympathy

9.9

To claim someone was raped to get sympathy or advantage

Compounds

711 1.0

A small plastic card from a bank that lets you buy things now and pay later

68 1.0

A small printed card showing a person's name, job, company, and contact details

A card sent at Christmas with a greeting and a picture

52 1.4

A card with money on it that you can use to buy things at one store or group of stores

52 3.4

An official card that allows a foreign person to live and work permanently in the United States

48 1.5

A paper from a school that shows a student's grades

43 1.1

A game played with playing cards, for example poker, that often needs skill or luck

41 1.8

A small card with a baseball player's photo and game numbers that people collect

35 1.0

A small flat piece of thick paper with numbers or pictures used in games

Money a person owes because they used a credit card to buy things

27 1.6

A plastic card you use to pay or withdraw money from your bank account

22 1.0

A card you give or send to someone with birthday wishes

22 1.0

A decorated card sent with a personal message for a special occasion

18 1.0

A small official card that lets you borrow books and use library services

18 7.6

A card with pictures and symbols used to tell the future or play special card games

14 4.1

A typical action or sign that helps people notice who someone is

11 5.6

A chance to avoid punishment or trouble

11 2.6

A small folding table used for playing card games

punch card
  • Archaic
11 7.4

A stiff card with holes that show information used by old computers

9 2.8

A trick that uses playing cards to entertain people

A card that shows you belong to a club or group

9 1.7

A small paper card with words or pictures shown quickly to help you learn

8 1.4

A plastic card from a bank used to pay without cash and get money from cash machines

8 2.0

A person who plays games with cards like poker or bridge

identity card
  • Formal
6 1.3

An official card with your name and photo that shows who you are

phone card
  • Archaic
6 2.1

A small card you buy to pay for phone calls from public phones or when traveling

5 2.6

A punishment in sports like football that sends a player off the field for a serious foul

A card sent to someone who is ill to wish them a quick recovery

5 3.8

A strong advantage that gives someone a winning edge

4 3.2

A card that lets you buy things and must be paid in full each month

4 2.4

A small card with a picture that people collect and swap

calling card
  • Archaic
4 3.9

A prepaid card used to pay for phone calls from public phones

4 3.3

A card carried to show that a person wants to give their organs after death

4 3.0

An official card showing someone belongs to a labor union

4 3.8

A playing card a player can use to represent any other card

calling card
  • Archaic
4 6.0

A small card with a person's name left to show they visited

graphics card
  • Specialized
4 3.2

A small part inside a computer that makes images and video look better

A card sent to someone to show you are sorry after a death

4 5.0

A person or thing that is unpredictable and can change the result

smart card
  • Specialized
3 3.7

A small plastic card with a chip that stores money or ID

card shark
  • Informal
3 8.2

A person who is very good at playing cards and cheats to win

3 4.0

A government card that lets you buy limited goods like food or fuel during shortages

2 2.8

A playing card with a picture of a king, queen, or jack

2 2.6

A bank card that lets you get money from an ATM or pay in shops

A digital file or link showing a person's name, job, company, and contact details

A street trick with three cards that makes people lose money

1 1.9

A card with a grid of numbers that players mark in bingo

1 2.1

A card passengers show before they get on a plane or ship

card catalog
  • Archaic
1 3.7

A set of paper cards in drawers that lists library books and where to find them

card sharp
  • Informal
1 9.3

A person who cheats at card games to win money

hole card
  • Jargon
1 7.7

A card dealt face down to a player in poker

card catalog
  • Texting
1 3.8

An online layout that shows items as small boxes with a picture and a little information

card index
  • Archaic
1 4.4

A set of cards that people arrange in alphabetical order to list and find items like books

1 9.6

A person who cheats at card games to win money from other players

1 3.0

A person who often plays card games for fun or money

1 4.2

A person or thing that attracts many people to a place

1 1.0

A card you send to wish someone a happy Easter

ace card
  • Informal
1 4.7

A strong advantage kept for an important moment to help win

1 8.5

A card sent to someone who lost a loved one saying a Mass will be said for them

punched card
  • Archaic
1 8.4

A stiff piece of paper with holes that holds data for old computers

1 2.6

A playing card with a picture of a person, like a jack, queen or king

1 1.0

A card sent by mail without an envelope, often with a picture on one side

1 3.7

A playing card from the special suit chosen that beats cards of other suits

show card
  • Archaic
1 4.6

A poster that advertises a play or concert

visiting card
  • Archaic
1 6.4

A small card with a person's name and sometimes address left to announce their visit

A card that lets you take books and other items out of a library for a short time

A small card with a person's name, job title, phone number, and email that people give in business meetings

A card you pay for in advance to use for ten coffees or bus rides

A fragile structure that you make by balancing playing cards

circuit card
  • Specialized
4.4

A board with electronic parts that you insert into a computer to add functions like graphics or wireless

compass card
  • Specialized
6.7

A round disc on a compass that turns so its north mark points to magnetic north

A playing card that shows a person like a king, queen, or jack

A dish that shows a chef's personal cooking style

How Smooth

to comb
77 1.0
to card
  • Specialized
1 8.6
to tease
  • Specialized
25 6.8

Surface Forms

card infinitive
carded past
carded past participle
carding present participle
cards third person singular

Etymology

Card as a verb in textiles (to separate and straighten fibers) comes from the old idea of using a comb with many small teeth, like a 'thistle', to pull the fibers apart. So to card wool or cotton is to clean and smooth the threads before spinning.