spade
Flat digging tool
A spade is a digging tool with a flat blade and long handle, distinguished from a shovel by its flatter, squarer blade designed for cutting into soil rather than scooping.
To call a spade a spade is to speak plainly without euphemism.
In cards, spades are one of the four suits, marked by a black symbol resembling a pointed leaf.
The verb means to dig with a spade: She spaded the garden beds in early spring.
Spade is also a deeply offensive racial slur for a Black person, rooted in the color of the card suit—now largely archaic but still recognized as taboo.
Tool for moving earth
- digUnearth by shoveling
- excavateRemove earth systematically
- earthSoil or electrical grounding
- soilGround matter for planting
hole · trench · scoop · unearth · dirt · pit · blade · handle
Matched formal garments
- clubsHeavy striking sticks
- heartsCirculatory system engines
- diamondsPrecious crystallized carbon
- aceSingle-pip card
trump · deck · shuffle · deal · bridge · poker · blackjack · solitaire
Ground matter for planting
- plantingPlacing seeds in earth
- bedsFurniture for sleeping
- cultivateGrow or develop purposefully
- mulchProtective plant bedding
compost · weeding · transplant · seedlings · fertilize · trowel · hoe · rake
Dull or tactlessly direct
- frankOpen and direct
- directUndeviating or to guide
- plainspokenCandid in speech
- candidHonest and direct
straightforward · honest · forthright · unvarnished · no-nonsense
Causing displeasure or attack-oriented
- racialConcerning ethnic origin
- derogatoryExpressing criticism or disrespect
- epithetDescriptive tag for someone
- insultOffensive remark or action
discriminatory · prejudice · bigotry · racism
shovel
Tool for moving earth
soil · hole · trench · scoop · unearth · dirt · pit · blade · handle · trenching
suit
Matched formal garments
ace · trump · deck · shuffle · deal · bridge · poker · blackjack · solitaire · trick
soil
Ground matter for planting
mulch · compost · weeding · transplant · seedlings · fertilize · trowel · hoe · rake · fork
blunt
Dull or tactlessly direct
- frankOpen and direct
- directUndeviating or to guide
- plainspokenCandid in speech
candid · straightforward · honest · forthright · unvarnished · no-nonsense
offensive
Causing displeasure or attack-oriented
- racialConcerning ethnic origin
- derogatoryExpressing criticism or disrespect
- epithetDescriptive tag for someone
insult · discriminatory · prejudice · bigotry · racism
- card suitsclub, diamond, clubs, hearts, diamonds
- card termsace, pair, flush, king of hearts, straight
- cardsplaying cards, playing card, card deck, poker deck, bridge deck
- digging toolsshovel, pickaxe, mattock, hoe, trowel
- farm toolspitchfork, hoe, rake, shovel, plow
- farmsteadfarmhouse, barn cat, farm cat, farm dog, farmyard
spadetrowel
Flat blade for spreading
hand trowel · teaspoon · garden fork · dessert spoon · rake
spadeexcavator
Machine that digs earth
backhoe · bulldozer · power shovel · steam shovel · earthmover
- ace of spadesPointed black trump
- queen of spadesHighest-ranking female spade
- in spadesTo an extreme degree
- calls a spade a spadeUses direct, unvarnished language
- king of spadesRoyal card, pointed suit
- jack of spadesFace card, dark suit
spades, spaded, spading, spadeful, spadework, spadelike, spadefuls