1
- a leading dignitary of the Roman Catholic Church. Cardinals are nominated by the Pope, and form the Sacred College which elects succeeding popes (now invariably from among their own number).红衣主教（罗马天主教由教皇任命的最高显要, 他们组成红衣主教团以选举继任教皇——现总在他们自己圈内选定）。
1.1
- （亦作cardinal red）[mass noun] a deep scarlet colour like that of a cardinal's cassock猩红, 鲜红, 大红, 深红。
2
- a New World songbird of the bunting family, with a stout bill and typically with a conspicuous crest. The male is partly or mostly red in colour.红衣凤头鸟。
2.1
- Family Emberizidae, subfamily Cardinalinae (the cardinal grosbeak subfamily): four genera and several species, especially the northern (or common) cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), the male of which is scarlet with a black face. This subfamily also includes American grosbeaks, buntings, and saltators.鹀科, 主红雀亚科：4属, 数种, 尤指主红雀（拉丁名Cardinalis cardinalis）, 其雄鸟黑脸赤身。此亚科也包括斑翅雀, 彩鹀和舞雀。
attrib.
- of the greatest importance; fundamental最重要的; 根本的, 基本的：
two cardinal points must be borne in mind.
两个基本点必须记在心中。
派生词
cardinalate
noun （名词义项1）cardinally
adverbcardinalship
noun （名词义项1）词源
Old English, from Latin cardinalis, from cardo, cardin- 'hinge'. Sense 1 has arisen through the notion of the important function of such priests as 'pivots' of church life.