a tool with a sharp-edged, typically rectangular, metal blade and a long handle, used for digging or cutting earth, sand, turf, etc. 铲,锹 ■a tool of a similar shape for another purpose, especially one for removing the blubber from a whale (尤指剖割鲸脂的)铲刀 ■[as modifier]shaped like a spade 铲形的 a spade bit. 铲形钻头。
verb
[with obj.]dig over (ground) with a spade 用锹挖(地) while spading the soil, I think of the flowers. 我铲地的时候,一直留意不要铲到花。 ■[with obj. and adverbial of direction]move (soil) with a spade 用锹铲(土) earth is spaded into the grave. 把土铲进墓穴中。
常用词组 call a spade a spade
speak plainly without avoiding unpleasant or embarrassing issues 直言不讳
派生 spadeful ( pl. -fuls) noun(pl. -fuls) 语源
Old English spadu, spada, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch spade, German Spaten, also to Greek spathē 'blade, paddle'
spade2 noun
(spades)spades one of the four suits in a conventional pack of playing cards, denoted by a black inverted heart-shaped figure with a small stalk (纸牌中的)黑桃 ■(a spade)a card of this suit 一张黑桃牌
(informal, offensive)a black person (非正式,冒犯)黑人
常用词组 in spades
(informal)to a very high degree (非正式)极度地 he got his revenge now in spades. 他现在彻底地复仇了。
语源
late 16th cent.: from Italian spade, plural of spada 'sword', via Latin from Greek spathē; compare with spade