face-card

A player reveals a face-card during a friendly game.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A playing card with a human figure: In a standard deck of cards, a "face-card" is any card that depicts a human face, specifically the King, Queen, or Jack. These cards are typically valued higher than number cards in many games.

Usage Examples

Advanced Usage

• "to be a face-card" (figurative): to be an important or prominent person in a group.
  • In the company, he is considered a face-card — everyone knows his name. (He is a key figure.)

Variants and Related Words

• Face-card (n): the standard spelling; also written as face card.
• Court card (n): an alternative term for face-card, especially in British English.
  • The deck includes twelve court cards: four Kings, four Queens, and four Jacks.

Synonyms

• Court card: a synonym for face-card, emphasizing its role in royal or noble imagery.
• Picture card: a less common synonym, referring to cards with illustrations rather than numbers.

Related Idioms

• "to have a face-card up one's sleeve": to have a hidden advantage or secret plan.
  • He seemed calm, but he had a face-card up his sleeve — a final trick to win the game. (He had a secret strategy.)