cardinal
n. countablen. a high-ranking leader in the Catholic Church who wears red robes and helps choose the Pope. It can also mean a common North American bird with bright red feathers.
n. a high-ranking official of the Roman Catholic Church, ranking just below the Pope and forming the Sacred College. Also refers to a North American songbird of the family Cardinalidae, typically characterized by the male's vivid red plumage.
The cardinals met in Rome to elect a new Pope.
A bright red cardinal landed on the snowy branch of the bird feeder this morning.
While the theological influence of a cardinal is significant within the church hierarchy, the bird that shares its name is equally iconic in North American suburban folklore.
Capitalization of cardinal (bird).
Capitalization of cardinal (color).
From Canadian French Cardinal, from French cardinal, from Latin cardinālis.
When referring to the church official, the word is often capitalized as a title before a name.