noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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General-American:/ˈhaʊs.ʌvˌkɑɹdz/
General-American:[ˈhaʊs.ʌvˌkhɑɹdz]
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A structure made by stacking playing cards in a pyramidal fashion.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Any structure with alternating vertical and horizontal layers.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: attributive, broadly, often
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A structure or argument built on a shaky foundation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, idiomatic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
an unstable construction with playing cards
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
he built three levels of his cardcastle before it collapsed
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: cardhouse, card-house, cardcastle
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: structure, construction
5
noun
Meaning 5
a speculative scheme that depends on unstable factors that the planner cannot control
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
his proposal was nothing but a house of cards
a real estate bubble
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: bubble
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: scheme, strategy
History
Etymology
No etymology was provided for this word.
Across languages
Translations
50 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
بَيْت مِنْ وَرَق
(bayt min waraq)
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Belarusian:
ка́ртачны до́мік
(kártačny dómik)
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Bulgarian:
къ́ща от ка́рти
(kǎ́šta ot kárti)
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Catalan:
castell de cartes
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Chinese Mandarin:
紙牌屋 /纸牌屋
(zhǐpái wū)
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Chinese Mandarin:
撲克牌建築 /扑克牌建筑
(pūkèpái jiànzhù)
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Czech:
domeček z karet
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Danish:
korthus
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Dutch:
kaartenhuis
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Estonian:
kaardimaja
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Finnish:
korttitalo
— structure made by stacking playing cards
French:
château de cartes
— structure made by stacking playing cards
German:
Kartenhaus
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Greek:
σπίτι από τραπουλόχαρτα
(spíti apó trapoulócharta)
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Hungarian:
kártyavár
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Icelandic:
spilaborg
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Italian:
castello di carte
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Japanese:
トランプタワー
(toranpu tawā)
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Korean:
카드의 집
(kadeu-ui jip)
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Malay:
binaan daun terup
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Norwegian Bokmål:
korthus
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Norwegian Nynorsk:
korthus
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Iranian Persian:
خانِهٔ کارْتها
(xâne-ye kârt-hâ)
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Polish:
domek z kart
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Portuguese:
castelo de cartas
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Russian:
ка́рточный до́мик
(kártočnyj dómik)
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Slovak:
domček z kariet
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Spanish:
castillo de naipes
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Swedish:
korthus
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Ukrainian:
карткови́й буди́нок
(kartkovýj budýnok)
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Ukrainian:
картко́вий буди́нок
(kartkóvyj budýnok)
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Ukrainian:
карткови́й буди́ночок
(kartkovýj budýnočok)
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Ukrainian:
картко́вий буди́ночок
(kartkóvyj budýnočok)
— structure made by stacking playing cards
Catalan:
castell de cartes
— structure or argument built on a shaky foundation
Chinese Mandarin:
卡家
(kǎjiā)
— structure or argument built on a shaky foundation
Danish:
korthus
— structure or argument built on a shaky foundation
Dutch:
kaartenhuis
— structure or argument built on a shaky foundation
Finnish:
korttitalo
— structure or argument built on a shaky foundation
French:
château de cartes
— structure or argument built on a shaky foundation
German:
Kartenhaus
— structure or argument built on a shaky foundation
Italian:
castello di carte
— structure or argument built on a shaky foundation
Korean:
사상누각
(sasangnugak)
— structure or argument built on a shaky foundation
Polish:
domek z kart
— structure or argument built on a shaky foundation
Portuguese:
castelo de cartas
— structure or argument built on a shaky foundation
Russian:
ка́рточный до́мик
(kártočnyj dómik)
— structure or argument built on a shaky foundation
Spanish:
castillo de naipes
— structure or argument built on a shaky foundation
Ukrainian:
карткови́й буди́нок
(kartkovýj budýnok)
— structure or argument built on a shaky foundation
Ukrainian:
картко́вий буди́нок
(kartkóvyj budýnok)
— structure or argument built on a shaky foundation
Ukrainian:
карткови́й буди́ночок
(kartkovýj budýnočok)
— structure or argument built on a shaky foundation
Ukrainian:
картко́вий буди́ночок
(kartkóvyj budýnočok)
— structure or argument built on a shaky foundation