yellow card

American

noun

Soccer. a yellow card shown by the referee to a player being cautioned for a violation.

yellow card British

noun

a card of a yellow colour displayed by a referee to indicate that a player has been officially cautioned for some offence

"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

verb

(tr) to caution (a player) officially for some offence

"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

serving as a warning; intended to warn

a yellow card system is in place

"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

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.

"The ball was going out of play and I felt the referee couldn't wait to get the yellow card out."

From BBC

The England captain had a chance for a hat-trick but missed a late spot-kick, after Bayern centre-back Kim Min-jae had been dismissed for a second yellow card.

From Barron's

Yamal will return for that match but Torres and Pedri are in doubt and De Jong is ruled out after picking up a yellow card in Prague.

From Barron's

Pawson considered the merits of a red card but Gillett was insistent the challenge was only reckless and a yellow card.

From BBC

Webb said: "It would have been incorrect to send him off because it's not excessive force, it's a reckless contact, so yellow card."

From BBC

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