playing card

American  

noun

playing cards plural

1. one of the conventional set of 52 cards in four suits, as diamonds, hearts, spades, and clubs, used in playing various games of chance and skill.

2. one of any set or pack of cards used in playing games.

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playing card British  

noun

1. one of a pack of 52 rectangular stiff cards, used for playing a variety of games, each card having one or more symbols of the same kind (diamonds, hearts, clubs, or spades) on the face, but an identical design on the reverse See also suit

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• playing cards
  plural

Etymology

Origin of playing card

First recorded in 1535–45

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

playing card

The new device replaces the traditional chest piece with a device around the size of a playing card.

From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2025

Also lost were performance posters, a bust of Schoenberg and ephemera such as the fanciful playing card sets the composer designed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 16, 2025

STAHLS’ personalizes two jerseys for each draft pick, including one handed to the player onstage and another that is used as part of his rookie playing card pack.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 22, 2024

When The Walt Disney Company celebrated its 100th birthday last month, everyone got to take part in this century’s-long tradition with TikTok’s new digital playing card game.

From National Geographic ● Nov. 3, 2023

About the size of a playing card, the panel had four arrows etched into it, pointing in different directions and painted different colors.

From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart