Is 'court card' the same as 'face card'?

Yes, in modern usage they are generally synonymous, though 'court card' is more formal and traditional.

Why are they called 'court' cards?

They depict members of a royal court (king, queen, jack/knight).

Do all card games use court cards?

No, some games like Uno or certain specialty decks don't include court cards.

What's the difference between a jack and a court card?

A jack is one type of court card; court cards include kings, queens, and jacks.

Is “court card” formal?

Court card is usually formal, technical in register.

How do you pronounce “court card”?

Court card: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkɔːt kɑːd/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkɔːrt kɑːrd/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.

court card: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

UK/ˈkɔːt kɑːd/US/ˈkɔːrt kɑːrd/

formal, technical

My Flashcards

Quick answer

What does “court card” mean?

A playing card bearing a picture of a king, queen, or jack.

Audio

Pronunciation

Definition

Meaning and Definition

A playing card bearing a picture of a king, queen, or jack.

In historical contexts, a person of high rank or influence; in card games, a face card that typically has higher value than numbered cards.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

Both varieties use the term identically in card contexts. British English may use 'court card' slightly more frequently than American English, where 'face card' is equally common.

Connotations

Neutral technical term in both varieties.

Frequency

Low frequency in general language; medium frequency in card game contexts.

Grammar

How to Use “court card” in a Sentence

The deck contains [number] court cards.She drew a court card from the pile.

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong

draw a court cardcourt card valuesking/queen/jack court card

medium

rare court cardhistorical court carddeck of court cards

weak

important court cardbeautiful court cardold court card

Examples

Examples of “court card” in a Sentence

adjective

British English

court-card probability
court-card distribution

American English

court-card probability
court-card distribution

Usage

Meaning in Context

Business

Not typically used in business contexts.

Academic

Used in historical studies of card games or heraldry.

Everyday

Used when discussing card games like poker or bridge.

Technical

Standard term in card game rules and probability calculations.

Vocabulary

Synonyms of “court card”

Strong

royal card

Neutral

face card picture card

Weak

figure card

Vocabulary

Antonyms of “court card”

spot cardpip cardnumber card

Watch out

Common Mistakes When Using “court card”

Confusing with 'credit card' due to similar sound
Using 'court card' to refer to any card with a person (including jokers)

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

: Yes, in modern usage they are generally synonymous, though 'court card' is more formal and traditional.
: They depict members of a royal court (king, queen, jack/knight).
: No, some games like Uno or certain specialty decks don't include court cards.
: A jack is one type of court card; court cards include kings, queens, and jacks.
: A playing card bearing a picture of a king, queen, or jack.
: Court card is usually formal, technical in register.
: Court card: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkɔːt kɑːd/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkɔːrt kɑːrd/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

“hold all the court cards (to have all the advantages)”

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think of a royal court with kings and queens - court cards show royal figures.

Conceptual Metaphor

IMPORTANCE IS HEIGHT (court cards are 'higher' than number cards)

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap

In a standard deck, there are twelve : four kings, four queens, and four jacks.

Multiple Choice

What is NOT a synonym for 'court card'?