card mechanic see under mechanic

cardˈphone noun

A public telephone from which calls are made using a pre-paid plastic card rather than money

cardˈpunch noun (computing; obsolete)

A machine which perforates cards to record data

card reader noun (computing; obsolete)

A device which reads the data represented by holes on a punched card and converts them to a form suitable for storage or processing

card row noun (computing; obsolete)

One of the rows of a punched card with lines parallel to the long edge of the card (cf card column)

cardˈ-sharp or cardˈ-sharper noun

A person who cheats at cards

card swipe noun

An electronic device that reads information on a credit or debit card when the card is passed through it

cardˈ-table noun

A table for playing cards on

cardˈ-vote noun

A voting system that gives each delegate's vote a value in proportion to the number he represents

a card up one's sleeve

An advantageous factor or argument kept in reserve

cards in one's hands

Everything under one's control

cards on the table

One's resources and moves freely laid open

cooling card (Shakespeare)

Anything that discourages, or dashes hopes

get one's cards

To be dismissed from one's employment

hold all the cards

To have control over all of the factors that may determine the outcome of a situation

house of cards

1. A card-castle, cards built up into storeys
2. Any flimsy or precarious structure, scheme, etc

keep or play one's cards close to one's chest

To conceal one's full intentions

knowing card

Someone who is astute, sharp or wide awake

leading card

A strong point in one's case

make a card

To win a trick in a card game

on the cards

1. Not improbable
2. Likely to happen

play one's cards well or right (or badly)

1. To make (or not to make) the best of one's chances
2. To act (or not to act) in a way that will bring one benefit or advantage

play one's strongest or trump card

To make use of one's greatest advantage

show (all) one's cards

To expose one's secrets or designs, esp when giving an advantage to someone else by so doing

speak by the card

To speak with precision and to the point

sure card

Someone who is wide awake

the cards are stacked against (someone or something)

The circumstances, or facts, are ranged against (a person, an argument, etc)

throw up (or in) the cards

1. To give in
2. To admitdefeat

mechanic /mi-kanˈik/

noun

1. A skilled worker, esp one specializing in making and repairing machinery
2. A person whose job is the repairing of motor vehicles
3. An air-mechanic
4. A person working at a manual trade, an artisan (archaic)
5. A term of contempt for a person of a low social class (obsolete)
6. (also card mechanic) a card-sharper (US and Aust sl)

adjective

Mechanical

mechanˈical adjective

1. Relating to machines or mechanics
2. Relating to dynamics
3. Dynamical
4. Worked or done by machinery or by mechanism
5. Acting or done by physical, not chemical, means
6. Machinelike
7. Of the nature of a machine or mechanism
8. Without intelligence or conscious will
9. Performed simply by force of habit
10. Reflex
11. Skilled in practical matters (obsolete)
12. Manual (archaic)
13. Having a manual trade (archaic)
14. Technical (obsolete)
15. Mechanistic (philosophy)

noun (Shakespeare)

A manual worker, an artisan

mechanˈically adverb

mechanˈicalness noun

mechanˈicals plural noun (informal)

The mechanical parts of anything

mechanician /mek-ən-ishˈən/ noun

1. A machine-maker
2. A person skilled in constructing machines and tools

mechanˈics singular noun

1. Dynamics, the science of the action of forces on bodies, including kinetics and statics
2. The art or science of machine-construction
3. The details of making or creating by manual or other process (also plural noun)
4. The system on which something works (also plural noun)

plural noun

Routine procedure or procedures

mechˈanism noun

1. A group of moving parts that interact to perform a function in a machine, etc
2. The arrangement and action by which a result is produced
3. A philosophy that regards the phenomena of life as explainable by mechanical forces
4. The means adopted unconsciously towards a subconscious end (psychology)

mechˈanist noun

1. A mechanician
2. A believer in philosophical mechanism

mechanistˈic adjective

mechanistˈically adverb

mechanizāˈtion or mechanisāˈtion noun

mechˈanize or mechˈanise transitive verb

1. To make mechanical
2. To adapt to mechanical working
3. To provide with armoured armed vehicles

mechˈanizer noun

mechanomorphˈism noun

1. The philosophy of mechanism
2. Anthropomorphism applied to machines

mechanical advantage noun

The ratio of the resistance in a machine to the force applied by it

mechanical drawing noun

Instrument-aided drawing, eg of a machine, an architectural construction, etc

mechanical engineer noun

mechanical engineering noun

The branch of engineering concerned with the design and construction of machines or mechanical devices

mechanical powers plural noun

The elementary forms or parts of machines, divided into three primary forms (the lever, inclined plane and pulley) and three secondary forms (the wheel and axle, the wedge and the screw)

mechanical tissue noun

Any tissue that gives a plant the power to resist stresses

mechanics' institute noun (historical)

An institution founded in England in 1823 to provide educational classes, libraries, etc, for its members (orig manual workers)

mechanoreceptˈor noun (medicine)

A sense organ specialized to respond to mechanical stimuli such as pressure or deformation