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

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

Today, the 52-card French deck is the most famous playing card deck.

From National Geographic • Nov. 3, 2023

The film eventually introduces the executives of The Charter who all have playing card names for no real reason except maybe the screenwriters thought it was cool.

From Salon • Aug. 14, 2023

He spent the next hour demonstrating basic skills like palming a playing card or performing the French Drop, a maneuver in which a small object seemingly disappears when passing from one hand to the other.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti