noun
spade
spayd
noun
1
A hand tool with a flat blade and a handle, used for digging.
"He grabbed a spade to dig up the old rose bush."
"She used the spade to turn over the soil before planting."
2
A playing card marked with the black symbol shaped like a stylized leaf (♠).
"He led with the ace of spades to win the trick."
verb
1
To dig or turn over ground using a spade.
"They spent Saturday spading the vegetable patch."
How to Use Spade
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA digging tool with a flat blade, or one of the four card suits.
Common mistake
A spade has a flatter, straighter blade for cutting into soil; a shovel has a curved scoop for moving loose material. Also note: "spade" as a slur for a Black person is offensive and should be avoided entirely.
Common pairings
dig with a spade
ace of spades
call a spade a spade
Word Forms
spaded past tense, spades plural, spades plural, Spades plural, spades singular
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He grabbed a _____ to dig up the old rose bush.
Etymology
From Old English spada, going back to a Proto-Germanic root also seen in the fencing term "spatha."