punch card

American  

Or punchcard,

noun

1. a card having holes punched in specific positions and patterns so as to represent data to be stored or processed mechanically, electrically, or photoelectrically.

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Etymology

Origin of punch card

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

punch card

And to ensure she’s not letting 2026 go by without adding a stamp to her TV punch card, Nicole Kidman is also part of the stacked cast.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 2, 2026

Store loyalty programs used to be simple: You’d get a punch card at a local sub shop, buy eight sandwiches and get your ninth for free.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 16, 2025

After the funerals, which were nine days apart, we were coming back to the mortuary, like, "Do we get a punch card? Is there free coffee?"

From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2023

“It is recommended,” Mr. Saltman said flatly, “that the use of pre-scored punch card ballots be ended.”

From New York Times ● May 5, 2023

After the war, Johnny threw himself into developing new computers that used a fraction of the time required by the punch card machines or the differential analyzer.

From Scientific American ● Apr. 7, 2022