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   cardinal

   /ˈkɑːdɪnəl/

   noun

   • 1. a leading dignitary of the Roman Catholic Church. Cardinals are nominated by the Pope, and form the Sacred College which elects succeeding popes (now invariably from among their own number): "his appointment as cardinal"
   • ▪ a deep scarlet colour like that of a cardinal's cassock.
   • 2. a New World songbird of the bunting family, having a stout bill and typically a conspicuous crest. The male is partly or mostly red in colour.

   adjective

   • 1. of the greatest importance; fundamental: "two cardinal points must be borne in mind" Similar fundamentalbasicmainchiefprimaryprimeprincipalpremierfirstleadingcapitalparamountpre-eminentimportantmajorforemosttoptopmostgreatesthighestkeyessentialvitalcrucialintrinsicintegralelementalrudimentaryrootradicalOpposite unimportant

   Word Origin Old English, from Latin cardinalis, from cardo, cardin- ‘hinge’. cardinal (sense 1 of the noun) has arisen through the notion of the important function of such priests as ‘pivots’ of church life.

   Derivatives

   • 1. cardinally adverb

   Scrabble Points: 11

   • C

     3

   • A

     1

   • R

     1

   • D

     2

   • I

     1

   • N

     1

   • A

     1

   • L

     1

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