spade
spade — 名詞
- spadesingular
- spadesplural
1. a hand tool made for garden work, with a flat metal blade attached to a long woo
鏟子；鍬
園藝用長柄挖掘工具
a hand tool made for garden work, with a flat metal blade attached to a long wooden or plastic handle; you step on the top of the blade to push it into the earth when digging or turning soil
Takeshi grabbed the old spade from the shed and dug a hole for the rose bush.
Takeshi 從小屋拿出舊鏟子，為玫瑰叢挖了一個洞。
collocation: grab a spade / dig a hole with a spade
The farmer pushed the blade of his spade into the dry soil with his boot.
農夫用靴子把鏟刃踩進乾燥的泥土中。
collocation: blade of a spade; push a spade with your foot
Lakshmi leaned on her spade for a moment and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
Lakshmi 靠在鏟子上歇了一下，擦去額頭上的汗水。
A good spade with a sharp blade makes digging in heavy clay much easier.
一把刀刃鋒利的好鏟子，能讓挖掘黏重土質輕鬆得多。
collocation: sharp blade / heavy clay
Nkechi bought a shorter-handled spade for working in her narrow flower beds.
Nkechi 買了一把柄較短的鏟子，方便在狹窄的花圃裡作業。
- blade of a spade
- handle of a spade
- dig with a spade
- push a spade (into the ground)
- grab a spade
- garden spade
2. the set of playing cards marked with a black pointed symbol that narrows at the
黑桃
撲克牌四花色之一，符號為黑色尖葉
the set of playing cards marked with a black pointed symbol that narrows at the base; in many traditional games this suit outranks hearts and clubs
In the game of bridge, spades are ranked higher than hearts or clubs.
在橋牌中，黑桃的級別比紅心和梅花都高。
collocation: spades are ranked higher than [other suit]
Hamza drew the queen of diamonds, but his partner held the ace of spades.
Hamza 抽到方塊皇后，但他的搭檔手裡是黑桃A。
Mei needed one more spade to complete her hand, but the final card was a club.
Mei 需要再一張黑桃才能湊成同花，但最後一張牌是梅花。
The spade symbol looks like an upside-down heart with a short stem at the top.
黑桃符號看起來像一顆倒過來的愛心，頂端有一個短柄。
- suit of spades
- ace / king / queen / jack of spades
- spades are trump
- lead spades
- bid spades
用法筆記
Used with a singular verb when referring to the suit as a group ('Spades is the strongest suit'). When referring to individual cards, use plural verb forms ('Spades are trump tonight').
3. a single card from the spades suit, marked with the black pointed-leaf design th
黑桃牌
屬於黑桃花色的一張牌
a single card from the spades suit, marked with the black pointed-leaf design that belongs to that group
Liam played a low spade and hoped nobody would win the trick with a higher one.
Liam 打出一張小黑桃牌，希望沒有人用更大的牌贏走這一墩。
collocation: play a spade; win a trick
The dealer gave Ritu three spades and two hearts, so she knew she had a strong hand.
發牌員給了 Ritu 三張黑桃和兩張紅心，她知道自己的牌不錯。
Isabela turned over the seven of spades and won the game with that final card.
Isabela 翻開黑桃七，用這張最後的牌贏了這一局。
Michael held only one spade, the two, and threw it onto the pile when spades were led.
Michael 手裡只有一張黑桃二，有人在攻黑桃時他把它扔到了牌堆上。
- play a spade
- hold / have a spade
- ace / king / queen / jack / ten / five / two of spades
- lead a spade
- discard a spade
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2 (CARD SUIT): this sense refers to an individual card, not the suit as a category. For example, 'I have three spades' means three individual cards; 'Spades are trump' refers to the whole suit.
4. an extremely offensive and racist word used to refer to a Black person; its use
黑鬼（歧視）
對黑人的種族侮辱用語
an extremely offensive and racist word used to refer to a Black person; its use is considered hate speech in most contexts and is never acceptable in any civil conversation
The speaker called a Black audience member a spade and was escorted out by security.
該講者稱一名黑人觀眾為 spade，隨即被保全帶離現場。
used as a racial insult; demonstrates unacceptable usage
Kwame's rival called him a spade on radio; the station apologised the next day.
Kwame 的對手在電台上稱他為 spade，該電台於隔天道歉。
Ms. Okafor read a 1949 editorial calling Black soldiers spades and discussed the harm it caused.
Okafor 老師讀了一篇 1949 年的社論，該文稱黑人軍人為 spade，並討論了其所造成的傷害。
Teachers should explain why calling someone a spade is a deeply racist act that is never acceptable.
教師應該說明，稱呼某人為 spade 是一種極度種族歧視的行為，絕對不被允許。
用法筆記
WARNING: This is one of the most offensive racial slurs in English. It is a hateful derogatory term for Black people and must never be used. Even quoting this word in conversation can cause deep offense. In most dictionaries it is labelled as 'taboo', 'offensive', or 'derogatory'. Unlike the other senses of 'spade', which are neutral everyday words, this sense is a racial slur with no acceptable use in any context. Learners should be aware of its existence only to avoid accidentally causing offense or to understand why it is considered abusive. Do NOT use this word to refer to a person.
常見錯誤
call a spade a spade
idiomto speak honestly and directly about something, even if the truth is unpleasant or blunt
直言不諱；有啥說啥
Felix is not afraid to call a spade a spade; he told the board that their plan was simply not good enough.
Let us call a spade a spade here — this project failed because nobody checked the numbers.
in spades
idiomin large amounts or to a very great degree
大量地；非常
Tamar has the talent for music in spades; she can play three instruments by ear.
The sequel delivered suspense in spades, keeping the audience on edge throughout the film.
spade — 動詞
- spadepresent simple I / you / we / they
- spades3rd person singular
- spading-ing form
- spadedpast simple
1. to break up, lift, or move earth, sand, or similar material using a spade; to di
用鏟挖掘
用鏟子翻土或挖洞
to break up, lift, or move earth, sand, or similar material using a spade; to dig or shape ground with a spade
Élise spent the morning spading the vegetable bed before planting carrot seeds.
Élise 花了一整個上午用鏟子翻鬆菜圃，準備種紅蘿蔔種子。
transitive: spade + [ground / garden bed]
The workers spaded the sandy soil along the foundation before pouring the concrete.
工人們沿地基邊緣用鏟子翻鬆沙質土壤，為灌混凝土做準備。
Tyler spaded a shallow trench beside the fence for the drainage pipe.
Tyler 沿著籬笆線用鏟子挖了一條淺溝，用來埋排水管。
Hoa spaded the compost into the raised beds with slow, careful movements.
Hoa 用鏟子把堆肥慢慢地、仔細地鏟進高架菜床裡。
- spade the garden
- spade the soil
- spade a trench
- spade compost
文法句型
spade + noun (object)
spade (no object)
用法筆記
Less common in everyday conversation than 'dig' or 'shovel'. Most often used in gardening or construction contexts. The object is typically the ground, soil, or the material being moved.
2. to operate a spade as a gardening or building tool, whether or not a specific ob
使用鏟子
操作鏟子進行挖掘工作
to operate a spade as a gardening or building tool, whether or not a specific object is being dug
Greta showed her nephew how to spade by placing his foot on the blade and pushing down.
Greta 教她姪子如何用鏟——把腳踩在鏟刃上再往下壓。
intransitive: demonstrates technique of using a spade
The elderly gardener spaded every spring without fail, even when the ground was hard and dry.
那位老園丁每年春天都照例揮鏟翻土，即使土地又硬又乾也不例外。
Vikram spaded until his shoulders ached and his hands blistered.
Vikram 不停地鏟土，直到肩膀痠痛、雙手起水泡。
Shirin watched the men spading in the field behind her house for the new irrigation pipes.
Shirin 望著她家後方田裡工人們揮鏟挖溝，準備安裝新的灌溉管線。
- learn to spade
- spade properly
- spade until [time / condition]
- dig
more general term; 'spade' specifically means using a spade tool
文法句型
spade (no object)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (DIG WITH TOOL): this sense focuses on the action of operating the tool itself rather than on a particular result. You can 'spade' without specifying what you are digging — the emphasis is on the physical work. This sense is almost always intransitive.
同根字
- spadeful名詞C1