Spader

spade ¹  (spd)

n.

1. A sturdy digging tool having a thick handle and a heavy, flat blade that can be pressed into the ground with the foot.

2. Any of various similar digging or cutting tools.

tr.v. spad·ed, spad·ing, spades

To dig or cut with a spade.

---

[Middle English, from Old English spadu.]

---

spader n.

---

spade ²  (spd)

n.

1. Games

a. A black, leaf-shaped figure on certain playing cards.

b. A playing card with this figure.

c. also spades (used with a sing. or pl. verb) The suit of cards represented by this figure.

2. Offensive Slang Used as a disparaging term for a Black person.

Idiom:

in spades

To a considerable degree: They had financial trouble in spades.

---

[Italian spade, pl. of spada, card suit, from Latin spatha, sword, broad-bladed stirrer, from Greek spath, broad blade.]