blade

[ bleyd ]

/ bleɪd /

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noun

the flat cutting part of a sword, knife, etc.

a sword, rapier, or the like.

a part of a tool or mechanism which is thin and flat with a tapered edge, used for clearing, wiping, scraping, etc.: the blade of a windshield wiper;the blade of a bulldozer.

the arm of a propeller or other similar rotary mechanism, as an electric fan or turbine.

Botany.

the leaf of a plant, especially of a grass or cereal.
the broad part of a leaf, as distinguished from the stalk or petiole.

the metal part of an ice skate that comes into contact with the ice.

a thin, flat part of something, as of an oar or a bone: shoulder blade.

a prosthetic lower leg, primarily for athletes, ending in a curved strip of flexible carbon fiber that acts as an ankle and foot, allowing running and jumping.

Phonetics.

the foremost and most readily flexible portion of the tongue, including the tip and implying the upper and lower surfaces and edges.
the upper surface of the tongue directly behind the tip, lying beneath the alveolar ridge when the tongue is in a resting position.

the elongated hind part of a fowl's single comb.

a swordsman.

Archaic. a dashing, swaggering, or jaunty young man: a gay blade from the nearby city.

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Origin of blade

First recorded before 1000; Middle English blad(e), blaid “leaf, blade (of a plant or sword)”; Old English blæd “blade (of grass or an oar)”; cognate with Dutch blad, Old Norse blath, German Blatt; akin to blow³

OTHER WORDS FROM blade

blade·less, adjectivemul·ti·blade, nounun·blade, verb (used with object), un·blad·ed, un·blad·ing.

Words nearby blade

bladder senna, bladder worm, bladderwort, bladder wrack, bladdery, blade, blade apple, bladebone, bladed, blade grader, bladelet

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use blade in a sentence

It began as a dull ache in my left shoulder blade, where it sometimes flared into the scalene muscles along the side of my neck.
My Chronic Pain Was No Match for This Mat|Aleta Burchyski|September 4, 2020|Outside Online
Unlike an airplane, a helicopter can even glide vertically because the blades do not see a vertical descent as truly vertical.
The science behind how an aircraft glides|By Peter Garrison/Flying Mag|September 3, 2020|Popular-Science
A blade steel that prioritizes ease of sharpening will likely be more affordable and is appropriate for occasional, light-duty use.
Three Questions to Ask Yourself Before Buying a Knife|Wes Siler|September 3, 2020|Outside Online
The Scizza from Dreamfarm is particularly great because it has extra-long 12-centimeter blades and an elevated handle so your hands are never in the way as you cut.
Pizza cutters that will get you the slice of your dreams|PopSci Commerce Team|September 2, 2020|Popular-Science

The key to those angled cuts is, of course, the blade mounted on the swing arm of the miter saw that moves left and right.
Make every project a breeze with the right miter saw|PopSci Commerce Team|August 26, 2020|Popular-Science
Nothing does it quite like deftly decapitating a bottle of bubbly with a gleaming blade.
How to Saber a Champagne Bottle|James Joiner, The Daily Beast Video|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Despite a dizzying number of women coming forward against her husband, Camille Cosby refuses to sharpen her blade of vengeance.
Why Didn’t Camille Dump Bill Cosby?|Amanda Marcotte|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Sociable” and “puckish” is how a Toledo Blade headline described them in 1957.
Lovable ‘Madagascar’ Penguins Are Known to Rape and Torture in Real Life|Asawin Suebsaeng|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But as soon as she pressed the razor blade against her neck, the guard lowered the gun.
How ‘Titanic ’Helped This Brave Young Woman Escape North Korea’s Totalitarian State|Lizzie Crocker|October 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The labels included a picture of a butterfly on a blade of grass.
Whole Foods' Anti-GMO Swindle|Michael Schulson|September 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Frenchman's blade scintillated in the setting sun around Haggard's more stiffly held weapon.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
The Frenchman never withdrew his blade; but his very anxiety to make a hit was defeating itself.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
Right over the stone marker, a long-shafted war-lance was carved—the blade pointing down.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
Then he rubbed the blade of his knife back and forth over this till the edge was sharp enough to split a hair with ease.
Alila, Our Little Philippine Cousin|Mary Hazelton Wade
He stood up, crowbar in hand, and inserted the chisel blade of the implement between the edge of the door and the doorcase.
Dope|Sax Rohmer

British Dictionary definitions for blade

blade

/ (bleɪd) /

noun

the part of a sharp weapon, tool, etc, that forms the cutting edge

(plural) Australian and NZ hand shears used for shearing sheep

the thin flattish part of various tools, implements, etc, as of a propeller, turbine, etc

the flattened expanded part of a leaf, sepal, or petal

the long narrow leaf of a grass or related plant

the striking surface of a bat, club, stick, or oar

the metal runner on an ice skate

archaeol a long thin flake of flint, possibly used as a tool

the upper part of the tongue lying directly behind the tip

archaic a dashing or swaggering young man

short for shoulder blade

a poetic word for a sword, swordsman

Derived forms of blade

bladed, adjective

Word Origin for blade

Old English blæd; related to Old Norse blath leaf, Old High German blat, Latin folium leaf

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for blade

blade

[ blād ]

The expanded part of a leaf or petal. Also called lamina See more at leaf.
The leaf of grasses and similar plants.

A stone tool consisting of a slender, sharp-edged, unserrated flake that is at least twice as long as it is wide. Blade tools were developed late in the stone tool tradition, after core and flake tools, and were probably used especially as knives.

blade

Origin of blade

OTHER WORDS FROM blade

Words nearby blade

Words related to blade

How to use blade in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for blade

Derived forms of blade

Word Origin for blade

Scientific definitions for blade