cardinal
Of chief importance
Cardinal is a noun and adjective with several meanings that are related in less than obvious ways.
The original meaning was “of great importance.” This meaning was transferred to the senior ecclesiastical official.
Since these fellows wear red vestments and red pointy hats, the bird we call a cardinal got its name by association.
Finally a cardinal number is one that expresses amount, such as four, twenty, or thousand.
Cardinal numbers are distinguished from ordinal numbers, which express order.
Crimson-plumaged songbird
- songbirdMelodious perching avian
- crestHighest point or tuft
- feathersBird's lightweight covering
- nestAnimal-built shelter for young
perch · beak · plumage · male · female · backyard · feeder · seed
Forming the base
- essentialFundamentally necessary
- principalChief school administrator
- chiefTop-ranking leader
- mainChief or primary element
foremost · central · pivotal · paramount · prime · key · core · crucial
redbird
Crimson-plumaged songbird
nest · perch · beak · plumage · male · female · backyard · feeder · seed · chirp
fundamental
Forming the base
main · foremost · central · pivotal · paramount · prime · key · core · crucial · vital
scarlet
Bright orangish-red color
carmine · vibrant · bright · vivid · brilliant · saturated · rich · bold · pigment · dye
one
Lowest positive integer
five · six · seven · eight · nine · ten · counting · quantity · amount · how many
- birdsrobin, crow, eagle, owl, duck
- backyard birdingbird feeder, birdbath, birdhouse, robin, blue jay
- songbirdsrobin, sparrow, canary, bluebird, thrush
- Catholic Clergypope, pontiff, bishop, monsignor, archbishop
- Catholic hierarchypapacy, Holy See, Vatican, episcopate, archbishop
- church rolesbishop, deacons, priest, pastor, lay readers
cardinalminor
Scale with lowered third
secondary · trivial · insignificant · unimportant · negligible
cardinallayperson
Non-specialist or unordained person
deacon · parish priest · curate · seminarian · acolyte
- cardinal sinsSeven chief moral failings
- cardinal directionsPrimary navigational bearings
- cardinal ruleEssential governing principle
- cardinal pointsFour primary compass bearings
- cardinal signZodiac sign starting seasons
- cardinal virtuesFour foundational ethical qualities
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