Meanings
verbspeak by the card (third-person singular simple present speaks by the card, present participle speaking by the card, simple past spoke by the card, past participle spoken by the card)
present singular third person speaks by the card · participle present speaking by the card · past spoke by the card · participle past spoken by the card
- To speak from accurate information, without guessing.
Origin
As in telling a ship's bearing by the compass card.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
speak by the card. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/speak%20by%20the%20card
MLA
“speak by the card.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/speak%20by%20the%20card. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “speak by the card,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/speak%20by%20the%20card.
Source: speak by the card on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.