1. high-ranking officials in the Roman Catholic Church who rank just below the Pope
2. bright red North American songbirds, especially the males
3. the basic counting numbers (one, two, three, etc.)
Usage: mathematics

Examples

• The cardinals gathered in Rome to elect a new Pope.
• Several cardinals wore their traditional red robes during the ceremony.
• A pair of cardinals built their nest in our backyard tree.
• The bright red male cardinal stood out against the snowy branches.
• Children learn to count using cardinals before they learn ordinals.
• The St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series that year.
• The Arizona Cardinals played their home game on Sunday.