Card

In Magic: The Gathering, the word card always refers to a Magic card with a Magic: The Gathering card front and a Magic card back. Tokens are never considered cards, even if cards are used to represent them.

A card is only referred to as a "card" by game rules or effects when in a player's hand, library, or graveyard, or removed from the game. When a card has been played and is on the stack waiting to resolve, the game refers to it as a "spell." When a card is in play, the game refers to it as a "permanent," or simply by its type or subtype.

Example: Shivan Dragon is a card with Creature - Dragon on its type line.

• When in your hand, library, graveyard, or removed from the game, it's a card, creature card, and dragon card.
• When on the stack, it's a spell, creature spell, and dragon spell.
• When in play, it's a permanent, creature, and dragon.