ENGLISH
REFERENCE

tarot

n. uncountable
C1 Advanced US //ˌtæˈɹoʊ// UK //tˈæɹɒt// tarot

n. a set of 78 special cards with pictures on them. People use these cards to try and understand the future or to learn more about themselves.

n. a set of cards, typically seventy-eight in number, featuring symbolic imagery used for divination or psychological reflection. Often used with the definite article when referring to the system as a whole.


SIMPLE

She asked the reader to explain the tarot cards.

CONTEXTUAL

Many people use tarot as a tool for meditation rather than as a way to predict the future.

COMPLEX

The imagery found in the tarot draws heavily on medieval and Renaissance archetypes, reflecting a complex history of both gaming and occult practice across Europe.

Origin

Borrowed from French tarot, from Italian tarocco. Compare tarok, German Tarock.

Usage

Often used as a modifier before another noun ('tarot cards', 'tarot reader').

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