I. Of or pertaining to a door-hinge: scapi, Vitr. 4, 6, 4.—

II. Trop., that on which something turns, depends, i. e. principal, chief: venti, the principal or cardinal winds, Serv. ad Verg. A. 1, 131; Isid. Orig. 13, 11, 14; cf. virtutes, Hier ap. Macr. S. 1, 16-19; Ambros. ap. Luc. 5, 49 al.—Hence, in late Lat.: cardinalia Christi opera, Cypr.—

B. Esp.

1. As eccl. term; subst., a chief presbyter, as opp. to one who ministered in an Oratorium; and esp. of such forming the council of the Pope at Rome, which afterwards consisted only of bishops, cardinals, Anast. p. 95.—

2. In gram.: numeri, the Cardinal Numbers (unus, duo, tres, etc., from which the Ordinals and Distributives are formed), Prisc. Pond. p. 1351 P.—Hence, cardĭ-nālĭter, adv., chiefly, principally: praesidere, especially, Firm. Math. 410.