cardinal
/ˈkɑɹd(ɪ)nəl/ noun C2- One of the officials appointed by the pope in the Roman Catholic Church, ranking only below the pope, equal to the patriarchs, constituting the special college which elects the pope.
- Any of various species of New-World passerine songbird in the genus Cardinalis, or in the family Cardinalidae more generally, or of similar appearance and once considered to be related to the former; so called because of their red plumage. (See Wikipedia article for taxonomical information.)
- A deep red color, somewhat less vivid than scarlet, the traditional colour of a Catholic cardinal's cassock. (same as cardinal red)
- A woman's short cloak with a hood, originally made of scarlet cloth.
Plural cardinals
From the library
I was for twenty years Cardinal Spada’s secretary; I was arrested, why, I know not, toward the beginning of the year 1811; since then I have demanded my liberty from the Italian and French government.”
“You know,” said the abbé, “that I was the secretary and intimate friend of Cardinal Spada, the last of the princes of that name.
The cardinal’s house had no secrets for me.
“From this starting-point I proceeded to step, having first taken the cardinal points by my pocket-compass.
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