spade

Everyday

1. A spade is a garden tool with a long handle and a flat metal blade, used for digging. tree →
2. A spade is a small plastic tool for digging in sand at the beach. tree →
3. Spades are one of the four suits in a pack of playing cards, shown by a black ♠ shape. tree →

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 →
• I took my bucket and spade to the beach. tree →
• The ace of spades is a black card. tree →
• Clean the spade after you use it. tree →
• We used a spade to dig up potatoes. tree →
• She likes to call a spade a spade and say what she thinks. tree →
• There are 13 spades in a pack of cards. tree →
• The spade struck against a hard substance; it was a stone, that shone dazzling white. tree →

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.