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Maroon vs Cardinal - What's the difference?

maroon | cardinal |

In nautical terms the difference between maroon and cardinal

is that maroon is a rocket fired to summon the crew of a lifeboat while cardinal is of or relating to the cardinal directions (north, south, east and west).

As nouns the difference between maroon and cardinal

is that maroon is an escaped slave of the Caribbean and the Americas or a descendant of escaped slaves while cardinal is a number indicating quantity, or the size of a set, e.g., one, two, three. See Wikipedia article on Cardinal number.

As adjectives the difference between maroon and cardinal

is that maroon is associated with Maroon culture, communities or peoples while cardinal is of fundamental importance; crucial, pivotal.

As a verb maroon

is to abandon in a remote, desolate place, as on a deserted island.

maroon

English

Etymology 1

Derived from the American-Spanish , meaning “fugitive,” “wild”, “untamed”.

Noun

(en noun)
  • An escaped slave of the Caribbean and the Americas or a descendant of escaped slaves.
  • A castaway; a person who has been marooned.
  • Adjective

    (-)
  • Associated with Maroon culture, communities or peoples.
  • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To abandon in a remote, desolate place, as on a deserted island.
  • Derived terms

    * marooner

    Etymology 2

    (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A dark red, somewhat brownish, color.
  • Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Of a maroon color
  • See also

    *

    Etymology 3

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (nautical) A rocket fired to summon the crew of a lifeboat.
  • Etymology 4

    From an intentional mispronunciation of the word (moron) used by the cartoon character .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (slang, derogatory) An idiot; a fool.
  • * 2011 , S. Watts Taylor, Tarnish , iUniverse (2011), ISBN 9781462002023, page 21:
  • At least, I would not be sleeping that night. Why did I have that espresso? What a maroon !
    Synonyms
    * See also . * See also .

    cardinal

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Of fundamental importance; crucial, pivotal.
  • a cardinal rule
  • * Shakespeare
  • But cardinal sins, and hollow hearts, I fear ye.
  • * Sir Thomas Browne
  • the cardinal intersections of the zodiac
  • * Drayton
  • Impudence is now a cardinal virtue.
  • (nautical) Of or relating to the cardinal directions (north, south, east and west).
  • a cardinal mark
  • Describing a "natural" number used to indicate quantity (e.g., one, two, three), as opposed to an ordinal number indicating relative position.
  • Having a bright red color (from the color of a Catholic cardinal's cassock).
  • Noun

    (en noun)
  • A number indicating quantity, or the size of a set, e.g., one, two, three.
  • *1920 , (Bertrand Russell), Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy , p.83:
  • *:This cardinal number is the smallest of the infinite cardinal numbers; it is the one to which Cantor has appropriated the Hebrew aleph with the suffix 0, to distinguish it from larger infinite cardinals'. Thus the name of the smallest of infinite ' cardinals is .
  • (lb) A word used to represent a cardinal number; a cardinal numeral.
  • *2005 , , (w, Wheelock's Latin) , 6th ed. revised, p.97:
  • *:The commonest numerals in Latin, as in English, are the "cardinals ".
  • An official in the .)
  • *{{quote-book, year=1932, author=(Maurice Baring)
  • , chapter=16, title= Friday's Business , passage=His uncle, a Cardinal , engages a Spanish youth of Moorish descent called Diego, an expert singer and player on the virginal, to unlock the secrets of the heart,
  • A genus of songbirds of the finch family, Cardinalis .
  • Any of various related passerine birds of the family Cardinalidae (See ) and other similar birds that were once considered to be related.
  • *
  • *:Breezes blowing from beds of iris quickened her breath with their perfume; she saw the tufted lilacs sway in the wind, and the streamers of mauve-tinted wistaria swinging, all a-glisten with golden bees; she saw a crimson cardinal winging through the foliage, and amorous tanagers flashing like scarlet flames athwart the pines.
  • A shade of scarlet, the traditional colour of a Catholic cardinal's cassock.
  • :
  • A woman's short cloak with a hood.
  • * (1733-1764)
  • *:Where's your cardinal ! Make haste.
  • Mulled red wine.
  • :(Hotten)
  • Derived terms

    * cardinal bird * cardinal concern * cardinal number * cardinal fish * cardinal flower * cardinally * cardinal numeral * cardinal point * cardinal spider * cardinal symptom * cardinal virtue * cardinal vowels * cardinalate * cardinality * cardinalship * incardinate

    See also

    * * Contrast with ordinal (numbers) * (abbreviation)

    Anagrams

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