Also 5–7 carde. See also CART sb.2, CHART sb.1 [An altered representative of F. carte (14th c. in Littré in sense ‘playing-card’), ad. It. carta, in same sense (cf. quot. 1816 in 1), a specific use of It. carta paper, leaf of paper, leaflet:—L. charta (carta) papyrus leaf, paper, ad. Gr. χάρτης leaf of papyrus, leaf, thin plate; perh. of Egyptian origin. (It does not appear how the Eng. form came to be carde, instead of carte, which was established in Sc.)
The native Fr. repr. of L. carta was charte; after the introduction of carte from Ital. it was gradually extended to other senses, belonging to charte (as in charte blanche), or to med.L., It. or Sp. carta, as those of map, chart, card. The Eng. word has had a parallel history; the shape and stiffness of a playing-card being generally present to mind in the later extensions of the word.]
I. 1. One of a ‘pack’ or set of small oblong pieces of pasteboard, used in playing games of chance, or chance and skill combined: now called more specifically playing-cards. Unless otherwise indicated by the context, always referring in this sense to the particular species of cards which are marked with ‘pips’ or conventional figures of four different kinds or ‘suits,’ called severally spades, clubs, hearts and diamonds. The ‘pack’ consists of 4 ‘suits,’ each of 13 cards, 10 of which bear respectively 1, 2, 3, etc. (up to 10) pips all of one form, and the remaining 3 have habited figures called ‘King,’ ‘Queen’ and ‘Knave,’ whence they are called COURT (i.e., coat) or picture-cards. (The earliest sense in Fr. and English.)
a. 1400[?]. Chester Pl., II. (1847), 83. Usinge cardes, dice, and cupes smalle.
1463. Act 4 Edw. IV., iv. § 1. That no Merchant … shall bring, send nor conuey … Chessemen, playing Cardes.
1562. J. Heywood, Prov. & Epigr. (1867), 29. Tell thy cardes, and than tell me what thou hast wonne.
1577. Northbrooke, Dicing, 111. The Kings and Coate cardes that we use nowe were in olde time the images of idols and false gods.
1589. Hay any Work, A iij b. Cards … though they bee without hornes … are parlous beasts.
1650. Sir E. Nicholas, in N. Papers (1886), I. 192. If a Presbiterian or Scotch court card were trumpe.
1732. Pope, Ep. Bathurst, 142. Mighty Dukes pack Cards for half-a-crown.
1816. Singer, Hist. Cards, 4. Cards are mentioned as being in common use among the Italians at the end of the thirteenth century.
1858. O. W. Holmes, Aut. Breakf.-t., 337. Turn up the faces of your picture-cards, my boy!
¶ One of the tablets in the game of ‘dominoes.’
1820. Hoyle’s Games Impr., 182. At the commencement of the game [of Domino], the cards (as they are called) are shuffled with their faces on the table.
b. A house (castle) of cards: built by children in their play; hence applied fig. to any insecure or unsubstantial scheme, system, etc.
1641. Milton, Reform., Wks. 1738, I. 18. Painted Battlements … of Prelatry, which want but one puff of the King’s to blow them down like a past-board House built of Court-Cards.
1645. Bp. Hall, Remed. Discontent., 27. It is for Children to cry for the falling of their house of Cards.
1665–9. Boyle, Occas. Refl., IV. xviii. (1675), 275. As children oftentimes do with their Cards, when having taken a great deal of pains to build fine Castles with them, they themselves afterwards ruine them with their Breath.
c. pl. A game or games played with cards; card-playing. Phrase, To play cards or at cards (Sc. at the cards); a game at or of cards; formerly, † on the cards.
1484. Marg. Paston, Lett., 881, III. 314. Pleyng at the tabyllys, and schesse and cards.
1502. Priv. Purse Exp. Eliz. of York (1830), 84. Item to the Quenes grace … for hure disporte at cardes this Cristmas.
1589. Hay any Work, A iij b. Our brother Westchester had as liue playe twentie nobles in a night, at Priemeero on the cards.
1661–2. Pepys, Diary, 13 Jan. My aunt Wight and my wife to cards.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, Knave-Noddy, a Game on the Cards.
1715. De Foe, Fam. Instruct., I. iii. (1841), I. 63. Spend no more precious time at Cards.
1775. Annals of Gaming, 86. Every thing that can be done upon the cards by the most expert joueurs.
1787. T. Jefferson, Corr. (1830), 95. After supper, cards; and after cards, bed.
1826. J. Wilson, Noct. Ambr., xxv. While an occasional evening away … at an innocent and cheerful game at cards.
2. In many fig. phrases arising out of the game:
a. (in sing.) from technical terms of play. † Card of ten: one that has ten pips, a ‘ten’; from its function in some game appears to come the phrase To face (brag) it out with a card of ten, i.e., to brag, put on a bold front. † Cooling card: app. a term of some unknown game, applied fig. or punningly to anything that ‘cools’ a person’s passion or enthusiasm. † Facing card: ? = card of ten. Leading card: a card that determines the ‘suit’ which must be played by those who follow the first player; fig. ‘an example or precedent’ (Dict. Cant. Crew, 1690). Loose card (see quot.).
1542. Brinklow, Compl., xix. (1874), 45. He shal haue fauor for his masters sake, or els bragg it owt with a carde of x.
1579. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 105. A certeine pamphlet which he termed a cooling carde for Philautus. Ibid. (1580), 320. All louers (he onelye excepted) are cooled with a carde of teene [tenne].
1591. Shaks., 1 Hen. VI., V. iii. 84. There all is marr’d: there lies a cooling card.
1600. Breton, Pasquill’s Mad-cap (1626), D ij b. Feede their humours with a Card of Tenne.
1606. Sir G. Goosecappe, II. i. in Bullen, O. Pl. (1884), III. 37. For temper sake they must needs have a cooling carde plaid upon them.
1621. Jas. I., Answ. Commons, in Rushw., Hist. Coll. (1659), I. 51. God sent us a Cooling-card this year for that heat.
a. 1624. Bp. M. Smith, Serm. (1632), 33. If yee [goe away] for these facing-cardes of multitudes or chaire, vnhappy are yee.
1683. Tryon, Way to Health, 474. Drunkenness being the leading Card to all Evils.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, Cooling Card, cold comfort, no hope.
1706. Hearne, Collect. (1885), I. 164. A great Duke (as a Leading Card) has subscrib’d 30,000l.
1820. Hoyle’s Games Impr., 49. Loose Card, is a card of no value, and consequently, the properest to throw away.
b. Sure card: an expedient certain to attain its object; a person whose agency, or the use of whose name, will ensure success. Similarly with other adjs., as good, safe, likely, doubtful, etc., and in phrases, to play one’s best card, to have played one’s last card, etc.
1579. Lyly, Euphues (1636), A iv. A cleere conscience is a sure card.
1589. R. Harvey, Plain Perc., 12. To get a sure card on their side, either calles for Iustice.
1605. Tryall Chev., V. ii. in Bullen, O. Pl. (1884), III. 343. Here’s Cavaliero Bowyer, Core and Nod … sound cards.
1649. Selden, Laws Eng., I. xv. (1739), 28. It cannot be denied that the Pope and Kings were good Cards in those days. Ibid., xlvii. 78. The Bishop … had formerly no other Cards to shew but that of the Canon.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, A sure Card, a trusty Tool, or Confiding Man.
1707. J. Stevens, Quevedo’s Com. Wks. (1709), 164. Is this the Service I am to expect from you, Paul! I must turn a new Card.
1711. Brit. Apollo, II. No. 102. 3/2. Don Gimcrack his last Card has plaid.
1742. Fielding, J. Andrews, IV. iii. We have one sure card, which is to carry him before justice Frolick.
1755. Young, Centaur, I. Wks. 1757, IV. 123. All their objections to Christianity seem to be no more, nor less, than playing the best card they have.
1763. Mrs. Brooke, Lady J. Mandeville, in Barbauld, Brit. Novelists (1820), XXVII. 23. Poor fellow! I pity him; but marriage is his only card.
1811. Wellington, Lett., in Gurw., Disp., VIII. 454. The Prince d’Aremberg … is too great a Card to give up for the Marquis de Santa Cruz.
1812. J. Bellingham, in Examiner, 24 May, 336/1. I have been called upon to play an anxious card in life.
1826. Scott, Woodst., III. xiv. 358. No card seemed to turn up favourable to the royal cause.
c. mod. slang. [app. suggested by such expressions as sure card, etc.; see prec.], applied to a person, with adj. (as knowing, old, queer, etc.) indicating some eccentricity or peculiarity.
1836. Dickens, Sk. Boz, 264 (Hoppe). Mr. Thomas Potter whose great aim it was to be considered as a ‘knowing card.’ Ibid. (1852), Bleak Ho., II. 77. But such an old card as this.
1873. Black, Pr. Thule, x. 151. You are the most romantic card I know.
d. (in pl.) from the comparison of any enterprise to a game of cards, as To play one’s cards well, badly, etc. Also To throw or fling up one’s cards: to abandon a project. To show one’s cards: to reveal one’s plans, the extent of one’s resources. † To have or go in with good cards: to have good grounds for expecting success. † To cast or count one’s cards: to reckon up one’s chances, take stock of one’s position. † Cards and cards (see quot. 1584). See also CUT, DEAL, SHUFFLE vbs.; TRUMP.
1577. Holinshed, Chron., IV. 207. Choosing rather to die in battell (if hap had so cut their cards).
1581. Campion, in Confer., II. (1584), U iv. I would I might be suffered to shewe my cardes.
1584. R. Scot, Discov. Witchcr., XIV. viii. 311. Calculating and casting his cards in this maner.
1584. B. R., trans. Herodotus, 1 b. Yt was cardes and cardes betwene them, the one beyng full meete and quit with the other.
c. 1590. Marlowe, Massacre Paris, I. ii. Since thou hast all the cards within thy hands … deal thyself a King.
1597. 1st Pt. Return fr. Parnass., IV. i. 1373. Let us caste our cards before wee goe.
1621. Quarles, Argalus & P. (1678), 119. Amphialus … trusting to his Cards.
1622. Bacon, Hen. VII., 30. They went in vpon farre better Cardes to ouerthrow King HENRY, then King HENRY had to ouerthrow King RICHARD.
1638. Chillingw., Relig. Prot., I. i. § 155. 114. There being nothing unwritten, which can goe in upon halfe so faire cards.
1645. Quarles, Sol. Recant., III. 86. And let thy wisdome play Bad Cards with best advantage.
1664. Floddan F., IV. 32. Our Cards we had both need to count and cast.
1688. W. Darrel, St. Ignatius no Phanatick, 18. If I cannot oppose more weighty Reasons to the contrary, I’ll fling up my Cards.
1710. Subst. of Late Conf., 3. The Cards run so much against him.
e. On the cards, † out of the cards: within (or outside) the range of probability.
On the cards appears to mean with Dickens ‘liable to turn up,’ as any thing in the game may when the cards are turned up. But it is very possible that the phrase originated with CARTOMANCY, when the cards were consulted as to the issues of enterprises. Other sources have also been conjectured.
1813. Sir R. Wilson, Priv. Diary, II. 40. It is not out of the cards that we might do more.
1849. Dickens, Dav. Copp., xi. ‘If in short, if anything turns up.’ By way of going in for anything that might be on the cards, I call to mind that Mr. Micawber … composed a petition to the House of Commons. Ibid. (1852), Bleak Ho., iv. It don’t come out altogether so plain as to please me, but it’s on the cards.
1865. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt. (1873), V. 303. Lest a scalade of Prag should be on the cards.
1868. Mill, Eng. & Irel., 20. At that moment [during the French Revolution] it was on the cards whether Ireland should not belong to France.
Mod. It was quite on the cards that he was to be raised to the Upper House.
† II. 3. A map or plan; CHART sb.1 Obs.
1527. R. Thorne, in Hakluyt, Divers Voy. (1582), B iv b. A little Mappe or Carde of the worlde. Ibid., C ij a. The first lande from the sayd beginning of the carde towarde the Orient is certaine Ilandes of the Canaries.
1555. Eden, Decades W. Ind. (Arb.), 45. Of the vniuersall carde & newe worlde.
1570. J. Campion, in Arb., Garner, I. 53. In our way to Scio, as you may plainly see by the Card.
1577. Eden & Willes, Hist. Trav., 231. If Ortelius generall Carde of the world be true.
1591. Burghley, Lett., in Unton Corr., 88. The best particular cardes of Normandie and Picardie.
1602. Shaks., Ham., V. ii. 114. He is the card or calendar of gentry.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., II. xxiii. § 46 (1873), 246. Not only that general map of the world … but many other more particular cards.
1650. Fuller, Pisgah, V. xx. 183. Such an elbow appears not in the late cardes of this country.
† b. Card of the Sea, Mariner’s Card or Sea Card; = CHART sb.1 1 b. Obs.
1534. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel., R vij. What profitte is it to the mariner to know the carde of the see.
1555. Eden, Decades W. Ind., II. X. (Arb.), 134. Manye of those mappes which are commonly cauled the shipmans cardes or cardes of the sea.
1594. Blundevil, Exerc., VII. xxvii. (ed. 7), 690. The Mariners Card … is none other thing but a description … of the places that be in the Sea or in the land next adioyning to the Sea, as Points, Capes, Bayes.
1613. Purchas, Pilgr., VIII. ii. 729. Pirats … robbing him … forced him to sustaine himselfe with making of Sea-Cardes.
1649. G. Daniel, Trinarch., Rich. II., cccx. Harry … by his Card knew how farr on His Voyage he might be.
1678. Phillips, Card, a Sea-Map … Vulgarly so called for Chart.
1721–1800. in Bailey. [Not in Johnson.]
4. The circular piece of stiff paper on which the 32 points are marked in the mariner’s compass.
16th-c. quotations are doubtful since they may belong rather to 3 b ‘chart.’ Possibly the compass-card was at first so called rather because it was regarded as a sort of ‘chart’ than on account of its material.
[1555. Eden, Decades W. Ind., II. VII. (Arb.), 127. Knowleage of the sea carde & compasse.]
1605. Shaks., Macb., I. iii. 17. All the Quarters that they know I’ th’ Ship-mans Card.
1656. J. Harrington, Oceana (1700), 140. What Seaman casts away his Card, because it has four and twenty Points of the Compass?
1732. Pope, Ess. Man, II. 98. On Life’s vast ocean diversely we sail, Reason the card, but Passion is the gale.
1751. Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Compass, The flower de lis, wherewith all nations still distinguish the north point of the card.
1770. Phil. Trans., LX. 133. At noon it [the Scilly light-house] bore directly north, by true card.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk.
b. fig.
1594. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., I. (1617), 5. That Law … is the Card to guide the World by.
1636. Featly, Clavis Myst., xxix. 382. Let us … carefully steere by the Card of Gods Word.
a. 1703. Burkitt, On N. T., 2 Peter ii. Pref. Our apostle … recommended the holy scriptures to us … as our card and compass.
1786. Burns, To Mount. Daisy, vii. 39. Unskilful he to note the card Of prudent lore.
c. To speak by the card: to express oneself with care and nicety; to be exact to a point.
1602. Shaks., Ham., V. i. 149. Wee must speake by the Carde, or equiuocation will vndoe vs.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), IV. 315. I speak by the card in order to avoid entanglements of words.
III. 5. gen. A flat piece of stiff paper or thin pasteboard, usually rectangular; used as a surface to write or draw upon, or for other purposes.
1610. G. Fletcher, Christ’s Vict., I. xv. There hung the skore of all our debts, the card Whear good, and bad, and life, and death were painted.
1622. Peacham, Compl. Gentl., xiii. (1634), 129. My booke … will teach you the use … of colours for Limning,… with the manner of preparing your card.
1724. Swift, Drapier’s Lett., iii. (1724), VI. 415. If we are driven to the expedient of a sealed card [i.e., as a substitute for coin].
1828. Southey, Ep. A. Cunningham. Thou … didst wilfully Publish upon a card, as Robert Southey’s, A face … as like Tom Fool’s.
Mod. Cards bearing the names of the prize-winners are affixed to the successful exhibits.
6. In many specific applications (in most of which small size, not greatly exceeding that of a playing card, is implied):
a. A small sheet on which a letter or message may be written; hence formerly a short letter, note, or message, whether literally on a card or otherwise. Recently the use of actual cards for this purpose has been revived, whence POST-CARD (in U.S. postal card). So message-card, correspondence-card.
1596. Colse, Penelope (1880), 173. With scoffing cardes she doth vs load.
1781. Cowper, Lett. to Newton, 4 Oct. Send Dr. Johnson … my poems, accompanied with a handsome card. Ibid. (1784), Task, II. 384. Never at his books Or with his pen, save when he scrawls a card.
1797. Encycl. Brit., II. 432/2. These … are to be noted down … upon a large message-card.
1873. Morley, Rousseau, II. 289. Hume was the friend of Walpole, and had given Rousseau a card of introduction to him.
Mod. Send me a card to let me know of your arrival. I’ll drop you a card when I hear from him.
b. conveying an invitation to a party, a ball, etc.; or serving as a ticket of admission to an exhibition or entertainment, as evidence of membership in a society; or the like.
1771. Smollett, Humph. Cl. (1815), 80. I can’t resist the curiosity I have to know if you received a card on this occasion?
1834. Byron, Juan, XVI. lxix. All country gentlemen … May drop in without cards.
1876. World, V. No. 114. 17. Astonished by an invitation to dinner, which she declines, and then by cards for parties, which she refuses.
Mod. Advt. House to be sold … Cards to view may be obtained of the auctioneer.
c. bearing a person’s written or printed name, or name and address. More fully with prefixed sb. indicating the special purpose, as (a) Visiting card: used chiefly for presentation on making a call, or to be left in token that a call has been made. Phrase, To leave a card on (a person). (b) Wedding cards: bearing the names of the bride and bridegroom, and sent as a notification of the wedding. (c) Business card: see BUSINESS 24.
1795. S. Rogers, Words for Mrs. Siddons, 51. A thousand cards a day at doors to leave.
1848. Thackeray, Bk. of Snobs, xxviii. (L.). Our first cards were to Carabas House. Ibid., Van. Fair, III. 178 (Hoppe). The Scape tradesmen … left their cards, and were eager to supply the new household.
1855. O. W. Holmes, Poems, 160. Brattle Street and Temple Place Were interchanging cards!
1856. Emerson, Eng. Traits, vi. Manners, Wks. (Bohn), II. 47. If he [an Englishman] give you his private address on a card, it is like an avowal of friendship.
Mod. He called, and sent up his card.
d. with defining sbs. prefixed, as birthday, Christmas, Easter, New Year cards, printed with ornamental designs, etc., to be sent (on the occasions indicated) as an expression of compliments or good wishes; collecting cards, on which small donations received by collection for charitable institutions are recorded; menu cards, etc.
1868. ‘E. Garrett’ (Mrs. Mayo), Occup. Retired Life, I. vii. 228. A Christmas card gives as much delight as a Christmas-box.
e. A programme, official or not, of the ‘events’ at races, regattas, and the like.
Mod. Here’s the c’rect card, sir!
7. transf. U.S. A published note, containing a short statement, request, explanation, or the like. (Webster.)
1887. Chr. Leader, 21 July, 462. When news reached the saloon keepers that a prohibitory law had been passed, they published the following card: ‘To all prohibitionists,’ etc.
8. A large rectangular piece of pasteboard containing an advertisement, or the like, for placing in a window, hanging on a wall, etc. So window-card, show-card, etc.
9. Comm. (more fully pattern-card, sample-card): Sometimes simply a sheet of pasteboard, sometimes an elaborate contrivance resembling a portfolio, on which samples of manufactured articles are fastened for exhibition to customers.
10. Mech. One of the perforated pasteboards or sheet metal plates in the Jacquard attachments to looms for weaving figured fabrics.
1831. G. R. Porter, Silk Manuf., 252. Figure weaving … These fixed cards thus become substitutes for the intermediate blank spaces on the revolving card slips.
1859. Encycl. Brit., XIII. 143. Since 1841 … scarcely a machine has been worked without the ornaments being applied by means of cards.
11. slang or colloq. ‘The card’: = ‘the correct thing,’ the TICKET, q.v.
1851. Mayhew, Lond. Labour, II. 47 (Hoppe). I’ve got 10s. often for a great coat, and higher and lower … but 10s. is about the card for a good thing.
IV. attrib. and Comb.
12. attrib. with prefixed numeral in names of games (sense 1), as three-card monte, trick, five-card, eight-card cribbage: see the sbs.
13. General combs., as (sense 1 b) card-castle, -house; (sense 2) card assembly, box, -cheat, -cheating, -maker, -making, -meeting, -party, -player, -playing, -room, -table; card-devoted adj.; (sense 6 c) card-basket, -tray.
1751. Smollett, Per. Pic. (1779), III. lxxxiii. 285. Our hero forthwith repaired to a *card-assembly.
1829. Carlyle, Misc. (1857), II. 76. A mere intellectual *card-castle.
1859. Sala, Tw. round Clock, 153. Skittle sharps, *card-cheats, ‘duffers’ and ring droppers.
1608. Dekker, Belman Lond., Wks. 1884–5, III. 131. This *card-cheating … is called Batt fowling.
1784. Cowper, Task, IV. 229. Sit pupils in the school Of *card-devoted time.
1824. Miss Mitford, Village, Ser. I. (1863), 14. Knocking down the rest of the line like a nest of *card houses.
1564. J. Rastell, Confut. Jewell’s Serm., 2. *Karde-makers, tapsters, gailers.
1694. Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), III. 381. Mr. Whitfeild, the late kings cardmaker.
1732. Berkeley, Alciphr., II. § 2. This idle amusement [gaming] employs the card-maker.
1751. Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Cards, The great letters, in our old manuscripts … are apparently done by the illuminers after this method of *card-making.
1824. Miss Mitford, Village, Ser. I. (1863), 196. He belonged … to every *card-meeting of decent gentility.
1777. Johnson, in Boswell, II. 574. I advised Mrs. Thrale who has no *card-parties at her house, to give sweetmeats, and such good things, in an evening.
1840. Marryat, Poor Jack, li. She … was considered quite a catch at card-parties.
1589. Hay any Work, A iij b. What, a bishop such a *cardplaier?
1816. Singer, Hist. Cards, 38. Ferdinand V. … promulgated more severe laws and penalties against Card-players.
1577. Northbrooke, Dicing (1843), 142. What say you to *carde playing?
1848. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 255. Most of the time which he could save from public business was spent in racing, cardplaying, and cockfighting.
1876. Geo. Eliot, Dan. Der., I. 211. Who is that standing near the *card-room door?
1713. Addison, Guardian, No. 120 (Jod.). There is nothing that wears out a fine face like the vigils of the *cardtable.
1785. Cowper, Lett. to Newton, 19 March. The card-table … is covered with green baize.
14. Special combs.: card-case, a case for carrying visiting cards; card-catalogue, a catalogue (of a library, etc.) in which each item is entered on a separate card; † card-conny-catching, † card-gospeller, nonce-wds. (see quots.); † card-holder, one who holds the cards for a great personage while he is playing; also fig.; † card-man (see 3), a maker of maps or charts; † card-match, a piece of card dipped in melted sulphur; also fig.; card-money, money allowed a person to enable him to play cards; card-paper = CARDBOARD; card-press, a small press for printing cards; card-rack, a rack for holding business or visiting cards; card-sharper, one who makes a trade of cheating at cards; card-sharping, the practices of a card-sharper; † card-work. Also CARDBOARD.
1835. Marryat, Olla Podr., viii. Again drawing out his *card-case.
1870. Miss Bridgman, R. Lynne, I. xiv. 235. Margaret took out her card-case.
1878. H. Stevens (of Vermont) (title), Photo-Bibliography, or a word on printed *Card Catalogues of old rare beautiful and costly books … Six sample Cards of the proposed Titles.
1592. Greene, Def. Conny-catch., Wks. 1881–3, XI. 76. Let mee vse it for an excuse of our *Card Conny-catching: for when wee meet a country Farmer with a full purse, a miserable miser … we hold it a deuotion to make him a Conny, in that he is a Caterpillar to others.
1550. Latimer, Serm. Stamford, I. 269. Among so great a number of gospellers, some are *card-gospellers, some are dice-gospellers, some pot-gospellers.
a. 1659. Osborn, Essex’s Death, Wks. (1673), 677. With what Circumspection Princes ought to play their Game, since Counsellors their *Card-holders, are not seldome Cheaters.
1625. Lisle, Du Bartas, 92. The poet followeth Mercator, Ortelius and the common opinion of the *Cardmen of our times.
1673. [R. Leigh], Transp. Reh., 102. Crying Chimney Sweep, Ay, or *Card-Matches and Save-alls.
1730. Fielding, Tom Thumb, II. vi. Where are those eyes, those card-matches of love.
1760. in Hone, Every-day Bk., II. 1628. Two of the lady’s servants … agreed … to dispose of the *card money.
1858. Ld. St. Leonards, Handy Bk. Prop. Law, xvii. 114. For … ornaments of her person, pocket-money, card-money, charities, or any other objects.
1777. Mudge, in Phil. Trans., LXVII. 336. There must … be two other circular pieces of *card-paper cut out.
1830. Miss Mitford, Village, Ser. IV. (1863), 260. A house of card-paper would be the solider refuge. Ibid. (1826), Ser. II. (1863), 342. Painted shells and roses … on *card-racks and hand-screens.
1859. Sala, Tw. round Clock, 336. German swindlers and *card-sharpers.
1882. ‘Edna Lyall,’ Donovan, II. iii. 88. Beware of pickpockets and card-sharpers dressed as gentlemen.
1870. Daily News 20 April, 2/5. Two men … were charged with … *card-sharping in a railway carriage.
1653. H. Cogan, trans. Pinto’s Trav., xxxix. 156–7. Twelve Ballisters of the wood of Camphire, each of them wreathed about with silver in the fashion of knotted *card-work.
