face card
2
2.8
- noun
- /feɪs kɑrd/
:
carta de figura
- In a game of poker, each player received two face cards and three community cards.
- a pair of face cards
Examples
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The rules state that a face card is worth more than a numbered card in this game.
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Every face card in Europe is out there: kings, queens, jacks... -
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The next card's a face card.
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He has nothing better than a pair of face cards.
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In this game, all face cards count as 10, providing addition practice with place value on the 100s chart.
Academic text (2015) -
And to whoever was talking about it, just remember, the dealer hits on 16 and stays on 17... always bet he has a face card down and go from there.
Blog text (10) -
"Looking like two sweet cousins, two jack-of-all-trades for my friend here," he chimed once Greg had two face cards up.
Fiction book (1998) -
If there are a lot of face cards, then maybe you hit twelve because then you think there's a good shot another face card isn't coming up.
Fiction book (1991) -
She was excited to draw a face card, hoping it would improve her chances of winning.
Synonyms
35
1.0
A small flat piece of thick paper with numbers or pictures used in games
1
2.6
A playing card with a picture of a person, like a jack, queen or king
A playing card that shows a person like a king, queen, or jack
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a playing card that bears a picture of a king, queen, or jack' is directly derivable from combining 'face' (the front or portrait) with 'card' (a playing card) — i.e., a card with a face. This straightforward noun‑noun composition is literal and common cross‑linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
The noun face card comes from playing cards that show a person's face on the card, like a king, queen or jack. That's why it means a card with a 'picture' instead of a number and why these cards are often important in games.