card catalog
1
3.7
- noun
- /kɑrd ˈkætəlɒg/
- Archaic
:
catálogo de tarjetas
- However, by mid-century, card catalogs were seen as essential.
- online card catalog
- library card catalog
And I looked up in the card catalog fireworks things about how to make them.
- And I looked up in the card catalog fireworks things about how to make them.
Examples
-
Many students still prefer to use the card catalog to find their favorite books in the library.
-
I'll show you the card catalog.
-
I made three card catalogs, title, subject, and artist.
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If you could just look in your card catalog.
-
The online card catalog helped clarify why students were not reading for pleasure.
Academic text (2013) -
From that list, they have to find four books in the card catalog, get the location, and then retrieve the books.
Blog text (19) -
Pupils may find information on their topic in the subject index of the card catalog of the school or local library.
Academic text (1990) -
The card catalog was searched for Library of Congress subject headings on leadership.
Academic text (1997) -
After browsing the card catalog and the stacks, Auel pulled some books off the shelves and began reading and taking notes.
Academic text (2002) -
I'm rough on pseudo-scholars, but I like assisting anyone who's serious, even novices who can barely use the card catalog.
Fiction book (1999)
Synonyms
211
2.5
A list of items with details, often in a book
1
2.1
A list that shows all the books and other items a library has
1
4.4
A set of cards that people arrange in alphabetical order to list and find items like books
How Searchable
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun-noun composition is directly compositional: 'card' modifies 'catalog', so the phrase denotes a catalog made up of cards or card-like entries. A B1 learner who knows 'card' and 'catalog' can reasonably infer a collection or listing organized as individual cards (whether physical index cards or digital card entries), making the meaning transparent.
Etymology
The noun card catalog comes from old libraries where small paper cards were kept in drawers, with one card for each book and the book's details written on it. Librarians looked through these cards to find books, so card catalog means the organized set of cards that lists a library's items.