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Topic: CARDS

Sense: 1,3
Origin: Old English spadu
Sense: 2, 4-5
Date: 1500-1600
Language: Italian
Origin: spada or Spanish espada 'broad sword' (used as a mark on cards), from Latin spatha; SPATULA

spade

 noun
     
spade
spade
1 [countable]DLG a tool for digging that has a long handle and a broad metal blade that you push into the ground [↪ shovel]
2 also spades [uncountable]DGC a playing card belonging to the set of cards that have one or more black shapes that look like pointed leaves printed on them:
the queen of spades
3

call a spade a spade

to speak about things in a direct and honest way, even though it may be impolite to do this
4

in spades

to a great degree, or in large amounts:
Beauty, intelligence, wealth - my mother had all of them in spades.
5 [countable] taboo old-fashioned a very offensive word for a black person. Do not use this word.
Definition of spade from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English within
the topic CARDS

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ace baccarat bid blackjack bridge canasta card card table contract bridge court card crib cribbage cut deal(n) deal(v) dealer deck discard(v) discard(n) dummy face card flush full house gin rummy grand slam hand jack joker king kitty knave lead overbid pack patience picture card playing card poker pontoon queen raise rubber rummy run shuffle(v) shuffle(n) snap(n) snap(i) solitaire spade strip poker suit trick trump(n) trump(v) twenty-one whist wild wild card

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