punch card

punch card (plural punch cards)

1. A card that can have holes or notches cut in it, especially one for storing data, that can be sorted according to combinations of holes present or absent.
   1. (computing) Such a card, the size of a US dollar bill and having 80 columns of 12 rows, used in early mainframe computers.
2. A card given to a customer and punched with a hole at each purchase, allowing a reward to be claimed when fully punched.

• Sometimes the blank card was called a punch card, and became a punched card only after holes had been punched in it.
• Also see punched tape and paper tape.

• (card with holes or notches): index card, punched card
• (card used in early mainframe computers): punched card, Hollerith card

• multipunch

• card punch, cardpunch