trenching spade
- noun
- /ˈtrɛnʧɪŋ speɪd/
- UK
:
pala de zanja
- Many World War I infantrymen carried a trenching spade as standard equipment.
Examples
-
The soldier used his trenching spade to dig a shallow foxhole during the night patrol.
-
He cleaned the mud from his trenching spade after a long day fortifying the camp.
-
The soldier used a trenching spade to dig a defensive position.
-
Don't forget to bring your trenching spade for the exercise!
-
Many World War I infantrymen carried a trenching spade as standard equipment.
-
The soldier used his trenching spade to dig a shallow foxhole during the night patrol.
-
He cleaned the mud from his trenching spade after a long day fortifying the camp.
Synonyms
1
6.6
A small folding spade soldiers carry to dig trenches or shelters
1
9.9
A long narrow spade that people in Ireland often use for digging soil
A spade with a long handle for digging narrow ditches
A digging tool with a long handle for reaching deep, narrow holes
How Portable
10
4.8
- Specialized
1
6.6
- UK
25
1.0
- Specialized
9
3.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun is compositionally built from 'trench' (to dig defensive ditches) + 'spade' (a digging tool), so its meaning — a spade used for digging trenches — is directly derivable from the constituents. This straightforward modifier+noun compound follows common English word-formation patterns and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both words.
Etymology
Trenching spade is a small, narrow shovel soldiers carried to dig trenches. Imagine a soldier using the thin blade to cut a narrow ditch in hard ground; the name links trenching ('digging trenches') and spade ('shovel'), so it means the compact shovel used by infantry.