noun
Uncommon
spades
spaydz
Spades (noun) means the suit of playing cards marked with the black ♠ symbol. Example: “She sorted her hand and counted five spades.”
noun
1
The suit of playing cards marked with the black ♠ symbol.
"She sorted her hand and counted five spades."
2
A card game in which spades are always the trump suit.
"Griff and his cronies played spades at the back of the classroom."
— Colson Whitehead, The Nickel Boys (2019)
"We played spades on the porch all afternoon."
How to use spades
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe black-leaf-symbol suit in a card deck, or a trick-taking card game built around that suit.
Common pairings
play spades
trump with a spade
in spades (meaning "in abundance")
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Rhymes for spades
See all rhymes for spades →Frequently asked questions
What does “spades” mean?
The word “spades” means the suit of playing cards marked with the black ♠ symbol. In plain terms, the black-leaf-symbol suit in a card deck, or a trick-taking card game built around that suit.
How do you pronounce “spades”?
“Spades” is pronounced spaydz (/speɪdz/ in IPA).
How do you use “spades” in a sentence?
Here is “spades” used in a sentence: “She sorted her hand and counted five spades.”
What part of speech is “spades”?
“Spades” is a noun.
Is “spades” a common word?
“Spades” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “spades” have?
“Spades” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the suit of playing cards marked with the black ♠ symbol.
