tarot

American

[tar-oh, ta-roh] / ˈtær oʊ, tæˈroʊ /

noun

any of a set of 22 playing cards bearing allegorical representations, used for fortunetelling and as trump cards in tarok.

tarot British

/ ˈtærəʊ /

noun

one of a special pack of cards, now used mainly for fortune-telling, consisting of 78 cards (4 suits of 14 cards each (the minor arcana), and 22 other cards (the major arcana))
a card in a tarot pack with distinctive symbolic design, such as the Wheel of Fortune

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

relating to tarot cards

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of tarot

1590–1600; back formation from taros (plural) < Middle French < Italian tarocchi, plural of tarocco

Explanation

Tarot cards are used for fortune telling and playing card games. Many people believe that a tarot reading will give them special insight into the future — but other people believe that fortune telling is bunk. A deck of tarot cards has four suits, usually swords, cups, coins, and wands, plus 21 trump cards. These cards include The Fool, The Lovers, Death, and Justice. During a tarot reading, cards are dealt from a shuffled deck and placed in a certain pattern. The placement and order of each card gives it a specific significance and meaning. Beyond its Italian source, the origin of the word tarot remains a mystery.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This vibes-based approach is about as insightful as reading a deck of Tarot cards.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

On the Maes in Pwllheli, a mobile sign on the pavement advertises a shop's wares: "Tarot, Crystals, Wicca, Reiki."

From BBC • Aug. 5, 2025

She’s authored several books, most recently “Your Tarot Guide: Learn to Navigate Life With the Help of the Cards.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 1, 2025

For example, the Tarot deck, originally for competitive card games, later morphed into a tool for fortune-telling.

From National Geographic • Nov. 3, 2023

They’re often attracted to New Age beliefs such as Tarot cards, the I Ching, astrology and biorhythms, since these provide them with personally customized pronouncements.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023