[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/spade/)

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# spade

noun (a spade, spades)

«spade» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A spade is a garden tool with a long handle and a flat metal blade, used for digging. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spade/#m1)
2. A spade is a small plastic tool for digging in sand at the beach. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spade/#m2)
3. Spades are one of the four suits in a pack of playing cards, shown by a black ♠ shape. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spade/#m3)

### In the lessons

In gardening and science lessons, children use a spade to dig holes for planting. At the beach, a bucket and spade build sandcastles. In card games, spades are one suit. Phrases: «bucket and spade», «call a spade a spade» (say things plainly and honestly).

### Examples

- Dad dug a hole with the spade to plant the tree. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spade/#x1)
- I took my bucket and spade to the beach. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spade/#x2)
- The ace of spades is a black card. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spade/#x3)
- Clean the spade after you use it. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spade/#x4)
- We used a spade to dig up potatoes. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spade/#x5)
- She likes to call a spade a spade and say what she thinks. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spade/#x6)
- There are 13 spades in a pack of cards. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spade/#x7)
- The spade struck against a hard substance; it was a stone, that shone dazzling white. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spade/#x8)

### Note

Countable noun: «a spade, spades». A spade has a flat, straight blade for digging; a «shovel» has a scooped blade for moving loose things like snow or sand (people often mix them up). In maths, a pack of 52 cards has 4 suits of 13, so 13 spades.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «spade» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spade/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«spade» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/spade.html) on Mova free.