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wildcard

 
Dictionary: wild·card or wild card (wīld'kärd') pronunciation

n.
  1. Games. A playing card whose value can vary as determined by its holder.
  2. Sports. An athlete or team selected to compete in a tournament or playoff from among those who did not qualify by meeting the regular requirements.
  3. Computer Science. A symbol that stands for one or more unspecified characters, used especially in searching text and in selecting multiple files or directories.
  4. Slang. An unpredictable or unforeseeable factor: A surprise witness proved to be the wild card at the trial.

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Wordsmith Words: wild card
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(wyld kard)

noun
1. In a game of cards, a card having no fixed value.
2. In a game, such as tennis, a player allowed to enter the tournament without having to fulfill qualifying requirements.
3. In computing, a character (usually *) used to represent any character.
4. An unknown or unpredictable factor.

Etymology
From card games, where such a card has no pre-determined value and is assigned a value by the player holding it

Usage
"A Western diplomat in New Delhi called the thousands of Pakistani-trained militants operating in Indian Kashmir 'a major wild card that is outside the control of either nation.'" — Rajiv Chandrasekaran; Kashmiri Rebels Warn of New Strikes; The Washington Post; Jan 3, 2002.


Idioms: wild card
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An unpredictable person or event, as in Don't count on his support--he's a wild card, or A traffic jam? That's a wild card we didn't expect. This expression comes from card games, especially poker, where it refers to a card that can stand for any rank chosen by the player who holds it. The term was adopted in sports for an additional player or team chosen to take part in a contest after the regular places have been taken. It is also used in computer terminology for a symbol that stands for one or more characters in searches for files that share a common specification. Its figurative use dates from the mid-1900s.


WordNet: wild card
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Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has 2 meanings:

Meaning #1: an unpredictable factor

Meaning #2: a playing card whose value can be determined by the person who holds it


Wikipedia: Wild card
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Contents

The term wild card was originally used in card games, but the term has evolved to describe what the Webster's Dictionary calls "an unknown or unpredictable factor" in any number of domains.

Wild card may refer to:

  • Wild card (card games) - a playing card that substitutes for any other card in card games
  • wild card (sports) - a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play
  • wild card (Foresight research) - low-probability, high-impact events
  • Wild Card 2, a game offered by the Multi-State Lottery Association played in the north-central United States; replaced a similar game called "Wild Card"
  • Wild Card - a card placed on the wheel on the U.S. version of Wheel of Fortune. A player holding the card, who subsequently lands on a cash space and calls a consonant appearing in the puzzle, may turn it in for the chance to call a second consonant for the same cash value in the same turn, or to gain an extra consonant during the Bonus round puzzle.
  • Wildcard - A quarterly(ish) event in Leicester, exhibiting art, performance, film, music and the odd videogame.
  • Wild card spot - a semifinals berth given to a Jeopardy! tournament player who is one of the four high-scoring non-winners in the quarterfinal round.
  • Wildcard a Virgin Moble Cellphone

In computing

In arts


 
 
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Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wordsmith Words. © 2009 Wordsmith.org. All rights reserved.  Read more
Idioms. The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Wild card" Read more

 

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