English Explanatory Dictionary

spade

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A garden tool with a handle and a flat blade for digging. Not to be confused with a shovel which is used for moving earth or other materials.
  2. A cutting instrument used in flensing a whale.
  3. A device for terminating an electrical conductor resembling a small spade.
verb
  1. To turn over soil with a spade to loosen the ground for planting.
noun
  1. A playing card marked with the symbol ♠.
  2. A black person.
verb
  1. simple past and past participle of spay
name
  1. A surname.

Pronunciation

/speɪ̯d/ en-us-spade.ogg en-au-spade.ogg /sped/

Word forms

spade spades spading spaded

Etymology

From Middle English spade, from Old English spada, spade, spadu (“spade”), from Proto-Germanic *spadô. Doublet of spatha, spathe, and épée.

Derived words

bucket and spade call a spade a shovel call a spade a spade call a spade a spade and a shovel a shovel call a spade a spade, not a big spoon peat spade respade spaddle spadeable spadebone spadefish spade foot spadefoot spade-foot spade fork spadeful spade-handed spadeless spadelike spademan spade-man spade man spade mashie spade money spadesman spadetail spade-toothed whale spadewise spadework spadeworker spade-worker spadish turf spade spader in spades royal spade
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