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

The suit of playing cards marked with the black ♠ symbol.

"She sorted her hand and counted five spades."

A card game in which spades are always the trump suit.

"We played spades on the porch all afternoon."

How to use spades

Learner’s notes

In 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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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

She sorted her hand and counted five _____.

Rhymes for spades

Hades shades grades Glades Blades Rhoades Pleiades charades Everglades

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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.