spade

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈspād How to pronounce spade (audio)
Synonyms of spadenext
1
: a digging implement adapted for being pushed into the ground with the foot
2
: a spade-shaped instrument
spadeful
ˈspād-ˌfu̇l How to pronounce spade (audio)
noun

spade

2 of 3

verb

spaded; spading

transitive verb

: to dig up or out or shape with or as if with a spade

intransitive verb

: to use a spade
spader noun

spade

3 of 3

noun (2)

1
a
: a black figure that resembles a stylized spearhead on each playing card of one of the four suits
also : a card marked with this figure
b
spades plural in form but singular or plural in construction : the suit comprising cards marked with spades
2
offensive
—used as an insulting and contemptuous term for a Black person
Phrases
in spades
: to an unusually great degree : in the extreme

Examples of spade in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Wendy, North, blasted into six hearts, and West led the ten of spades. —Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 17 Nov. 2024 This could suggest early signs of appeal among niche industry groups, leaving wiggle room in categories like directing (a branch that loves the kind of auteur vision that Ross offers in spades). —Clayton Davis, Variety, 29 Oct. 2024
Verb
Use a spading fork to dig tubers on a sunny day when the soil is dry. —Mariah Thomas, Good Housekeeping, 29 Mar. 2023 See all Example Sentences for spade 

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, going back to Old English spadu, spædu, spade (plural spadan), going back to Germanic *spaðōn- (whence also Old Saxon spado "digging implement, spade," Old Frisian spada, early Modern German Spaten, Icelandic spaði), akin to Greek spáthē "any of various blade-like implements or objects," both going back to Indo-European *sph2-dh-, perhaps a suffixed derivative of the verbal base *speh2- "draw, pull out" — more at spasm

Note: Hittite išpann-, išpatar "spit, skewer" has also been compared, though according to Jaan Puhvel the stem would reflect *speh2-tr- rather than *speh2-dhr- (see Hittite Etymological Dictionary, vol. 1/2, pp. 450-51). Probably also relevant are Sanskrit sphya- "shoulder blade," Khotanese phvai "spade, shovel," perhaps reflecting *sph2-i-o- (for further Indo-Iranian forms see Manfred Mayrhofer, Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindischen, 3. Band, p. 547; H.W. Bailey, Dictionary of Khotan Saka, Cambridge, 1979, p. 264).

Verb

verbal derivative of spade entry 1

Noun (2)

Italian spada or Spanish espada broadsword; both from Latin spatha, from Greek spathē blade

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1647, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun (2)

circa 1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of spade was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing spade

Dictionary Entries Near spade

spadaite

spade

spade beard

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Spade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spade. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

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Kids Definition

spade

1 of 3 noun
ˈspād How to pronounce spade (audio)
1
: a digging tool like a shovel made so that it can be pushed into the ground with the foot
2
: a spade-shaped instrument
spadeful
-ˌfu̇l How to pronounce spade (audio)
noun

spade

2 of 3 verb
spaded; spading
: to dig with or use a spade

spade

3 of 3 noun
1
: a black figure resembling an inverted heart with a short stem at the bottom used to indicate a suit of playing cards
2
: a card of the suit of spades
Etymology

Noun

Old English spadu "a digging tool"

Noun

from Italian spada or Spanish espada, both meaning "broad sword" and both from Latin spatha "blade"

More from Merriam-Webster on spade

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for spade

Nglish: Translation of spade for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of spade for Arabic Speakers

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