spade Hear it!

spade1 definition

spade (spād)

noun

  1. a heavy, flat-bladed, long-handled tool used for digging by pressing the metal blade into the ground with the foot
  2. any of several tools resembling a spade
  3. a part of the trail of a gun carriage which digs into the ground, so as to brace the gun during recoil

Etymology: ME < OE spadu, akin to Ger spaten < IE base *spē-, long flat piece of wood > spoon, Gr spathē

transitive verb, intransitive verb spaded spad′ed, spading spad′·ing

to dig or cut with or as with a spade

Related Forms:

spade Idioms

call a spade a spade

to call something by its right name; use plain, blunt words
spade2 definition

spade (spād)

noun

  1. any of a suit of playing cards marked with black figures shaped like this: ♠
  2. this suit of cards
  3. Slang black (): term of contempt and prejudice

Etymology: Sp espada, sword (the sign used on Spanish cards) < L spatha, flat blade < Gr spathē: see spade

spade Idioms

in spades

☆

Etymology: from the fact that spades are the highest suit in bridge, etc.

Informal in an extreme or emphatic way
spade3 definition

spade (spād)

transitive verb spaded spad′ed, spading spad′·ing

Dialectal spay

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.