calling card
Americannoun
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Also called card, visiting card. a small card with the name and often the address of a person or of a couple, for presenting when making a business or social call, for enclosing in gifts, etc.
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Informal. any mark, sign, trace, characteristic, or the like by which someone or something can be recognized.
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Also called phone card. a prepaid card or charge card that can be used to make a telephone call at home or away from home.
noun
Etymology
Origin of calling card
An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900
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.
Short seller Andrew Left’s conviction this week on securities-fraud charges has shocked an influential niche of the stock market whose calling card is its ability to affect stock prices.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
His calling card: He added a dose of mirth to the sober ministerings of a profession not known for its sense of humor or rhetorical skills.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026
Volatility has been silver’s calling card in recent months but even by recent standards the last week has been a roller-coaster ride.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 13, 2026
Every candidate enters a contest with a backstory and a record, which is condensed to a summary that serves as calling card, strategic foundation and a rationale for their run.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 1, 2026
Ignatius mumbled, looking at the austere little calling card.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
