spade
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.a tool for digging with a flat metal blade and a long handle.
n.a tool for digging or cutting the ground, consisting of a flat metal blade and a handle; distinguished from a shovel by its flat edge.
Simple“He used a sharp spade to dig a hole for the new rose bush.”
In context“The gardener drove the spade into the compacted clay, turning the soil over to prepare the bed for spring planting.”
PitfallI used a spade to move the pile of sand. I used a shovel to move the pile of sand.Use a spade for digging into hard ground; use a shovel for moving loose materials like sand or snow.
Synonymstrowel - 02 B1 Intermediate
n.one of the four suits in a deck of cards, shown by a black leaf shape.
n.one of the four suits in a standard deck of playing cards, represented by a black inverted heart-shaped leaf with a small stem.
Simple“The ace of spades is often the highest card in many games.”
In context“He realized he had lost the hand when his opponent led with a high spade, forcing him to play his last trump card.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to dig or turn over soil using a spade.
v.to dig, turn over, or remove soil with a spade, typically for horticultural preparation.
Simple“You should spade the garden in late autumn to help the soil breathe.”
In context“The workers spent the afternoon spading the narrow trench where the new irrigation pipes were to be laid.”
From Middle English spade, from Old English spada, spade, spadu (“spade”), from Proto-Germanic *spadô. Doublet of spatha, spathe, and épée.
Probably from Italian spade, plural of spada (“the ace of spades”, literally “sword, spade”), from earlier *spata, from Latin spatha, from Ancient Greek σπᾰ́θη (spắthē). Cognate with Etymology 1. So called for the shape, though what the shape was exactly meant to represent has been debated.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.