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Glite Dictionary
ditch spade

ditch spade

7.0
A spade with a long handle for digging narrow ditches
  • noun
translation icon : pala de zanja
  • The gardener grabbed a ditch spade to start digging the narrow trench for the irrigation system.

Examples

  • He loaned his ditch spade to the neighbor, who was working on a drainage channel.

  • He used a ditch spade to dig the trench.

  • A ditch spade is ideal when you need to create a deep, narrow hole in the ground.

  • The ditch spade is perfect for narrow spaces.

  • The gardener grabbed a ditch spade to start digging the narrow trench for the irrigation system.

  • A ditch spade is ideal when you need to create a deep, narrow hole in the ground.

  • He loaned his ditch spade to the neighbor, who was working on a drainage channel.

Synonyms

spade
vsditch spade
25 1.0

A tool with a flat blade and long handle for digging

is narrower and made for digging narrow channels not general digging
long-handled spade
vsditch spade
3.9

A digging tool with a long handle for reaching deep, narrow holes

is specialized for digging narrow channels rather than general deep reach
trenching spade
vsditch spade
  • UK
8.0

A small narrow shovel soldiers use to dig trenches

is used for civilian narrow channel digging rather than military earthworks

Surface Forms

ditch spade singular
ditch spades plural

Morphology

ditch + spade

The meaning 'a spade with a long handle used for digging narrow ditches' is directly and literally built from 'ditch' + 'spade' (a spade for digging ditches). This follows a common noun+noun compounding pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the intended tool.

Etymology

Ditch spade comes from the tool itself: a long-handled spade made to cut a narrow ditch, so you can picture a thin blade digging a narrow trench. That's why the name means 'a spade for digging narrow ditches'.