punch card: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low (Historical/Technical)Formal, Technical, Historical
Quick answer
What does “punch card” mean?
A piece of stiff paper with holes punched in particular positions to represent data or commands, historically used for inputting information into early computers and automated looms.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A piece of stiff paper with holes punched in particular positions to represent data or commands, historically used for inputting information into early computers and automated looms.
A system or medium for data storage and processing that predates modern electronic memory; symbolically, any outdated or rigidly structured system of information management.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical difference. The term 'punched card' is equally common, especially in British technical writing.
Connotations
Evokes mid-20th-century computing, bureaucracy, and early automation. The metaphorical use implies inflexibility.
Frequency
Rare in contemporary use outside historical or technical discussions.
Grammar
How to Use “punch card” in a Sentence
[verb] + punch card(s): (read, process, sort, load, feed) punch cards[adjective] + punch card(s): (historical, obsolete, standard, 80-column) punch card(s)[preposition] + punch card(s): data on a punch card, system of punch cards, era of the punch cardVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “punch card” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The data was then punched onto cards for processing.
- She learned to punch cards for the university's computer.
American English
- They had to punch cards for the entire payroll run.
- The program was punched onto a deck of cards.
adverb
British English
- The data was processed punch-card by punch-card. (as a noun used adverbially)
- N/A - not a standard adverb form.
American English
- N/A - not a standard adverb form.
adjective
British English
- The punch-card era lasted well into the 1970s.
- They replaced the punch-card reader with a terminal.
American English
- The punch-card system was prone to jamming.
- He found an old punch-card programmer in the archives.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Metaphorical: 'Their approval process is like a punch card system—slow and unable to handle exceptions.'
Academic
Historical: 'The analysis was initially performed using a series of punch cards processed by a mainframe.'
Everyday
Rare. Possible: 'My first programming job involved sorting boxes of punch cards.'
Technical
Precise: 'The legacy data was recovered from archived punch card decks and converted to a digital format.'
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “punch card”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “punch card”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “punch card”
- Using 'punch card' to refer to a loyalty card or a card that gets stamped (use 'loyalty card' or 'stamp card').
- Misspelling as 'punchcard' (though this single-word form is seen, the two-word form is standard for the noun).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, they are interchangeable terms for the same object. 'Punched card' is perhaps slightly more formal or technical.
No. A 'time card' is used to record work hours, often by punching. A 'stamp card' (or loyalty card) gets stamped for purchases. A 'punch card' specifically uses holes to encode data for machine reading.
They were dominant from the late 19th century through the 1970s, for data processing, census tabulation, and early computer programming.
The related verb is 'to punch' (cards). While 'punch-card' can be used attributively (as an adjective), it is not standard to use 'punch card' as a single-word verb.
A piece of stiff paper with holes punched in particular positions to represent data or commands, historically used for inputting information into early computers and automated looms.
Punch card is usually formal, technical, historical in register.
Punch card: in British English it is pronounced /ˈpʌnʧ ˌkɑːd/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈpənʧ ˌkɑrd/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “living in a punch card era”
- “as inflexible as a punch card system”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a ticket (CARD) you get after a time clock PUNCHes it to record your arrival—it holds information via holes.
Conceptual Metaphor
INFORMATION IS A PHYSICAL OBJECT (that can be punched, stored, and fed into a machine). RIGID SYSTEMS ARE OBSOLETE TECHNOLOGIES.
Practice
Quiz
What is the most likely modern metaphorical meaning of 'a punch card system'?