BLADE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does blade mean? 

• BLADE (noun)
  The noun BLADE has 9 senses:

1. especially a leaf of grass or the broad portion of a leaf as distinct from the petiole

2. a dashing young man

3. something long and thin resembling a blade of grass

4. a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard

5. a cut of beef from the shoulder blade

6. a broad flat body part (as of the shoulder or tongue)

7. the part of the skate that slides on the ice

8. flat surface that rotates and pushes against air or water

9. the flat part of a tool or weapon that (usually) has a cutting edge

  Familiarity information: BLADE used as a noun is familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BLADE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Especially a leaf of grass or the broad portion of a leaf as distinct from the petiole

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Synonyms:

blade; leaf blade

Hypernyms ("blade" is a kind of...):

foliage; leaf; leafage (the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A dashing young man

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Context example:

gay young blades bragged of their amorous adventures

Hypernyms ("blade" is a kind of...):

spring chicken; young person; younker; youth (a young person (especially a young man or boy))

Sense 3

Meaning:

Something long and thin resembling a blade of grass

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Context example:

a blade of lint on his suit

Hypernyms ("blade" is a kind of...):

ribbon; thread (any long object resembling a thin line)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

blade; brand; steel; sword

Hypernyms ("blade" is a kind of...):

arm; weapon; weapon system (any instrument or instrumentality used in fighting or hunting)

Meronyms (parts of "blade"):

haft; helve (the handle of a weapon or tool)

peak; point; tip (a V shape)

hilt (the handle of a sword or dagger)

forte (the stronger part of a sword blade between the hilt and the foible)

foible (the weaker part of a sword's blade from the forte to the tip)

blade (the flat part of a tool or weapon that (usually) has a cutting edge)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "blade"):

backsword (a sword with only one cutting edge)

broadsword (a sword with a broad blade and (usually) two cutting edges; used to cut rather than stab)

cavalry sword; saber; sabre (a stout sword with a curved blade and thick back)

cutlas; cutlass (a short heavy curved sword with one edge; formerly used by sailors)

falchion (a short broad slightly convex medieval sword with a sharp point)

fencing sword (a sword used in the sport of fencing)

rapier; tuck (a straight sword with a narrow blade and two edges)

Instance hyponyms:

Excalibur (the legendary sword of King Arthur)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A cut of beef from the shoulder blade

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Hypernyms ("blade" is a kind of...):

cut of beef (cut of meat from beef cattle)

Holonyms ("blade" is a part of...):

chuck (the part of a forequarter from the neck to the ribs and including the shoulder blade)

Sense 6

Meaning:

A broad flat body part (as of the shoulder or tongue)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Hypernyms ("blade" is a kind of...):

anatomical structure; bodily structure; body structure; complex body part; structure (a particular complex anatomical part of a living thing and its construction and arrangement)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "blade"):

vane; web (the flattened weblike part of a feather consisting of a series of barbs on either side of the shaft)

Sense 7

Meaning:

The part of the skate that slides on the ice

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("blade" is a kind of...):

runner (device consisting of the parts on which something can slide along)

Holonyms ("blade" is a part of...):

ice skate (skate consisting of a boot with a steel blade fitted to the sole)

Sense 8

Meaning:

Flat surface that rotates and pushes against air or water

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

blade; vane

Hypernyms ("blade" is a kind of...):

rotating mechanism (a mechanism that rotates)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "blade"):

fan blade (blade of a rotating fan)

impeller (the blade of a rotor (as in the compressor of a jet engine))

paddle (a blade of a paddle wheel or water wheel)

rudder blade (the vertical blade on a rudder)

Holonyms ("blade" is a part of...):

propeller; propellor (a mechanical device that rotates to push against air or water)

aerogenerator; wind generator; windmill (generator that extracts usable energy from winds)

turbine (rotary engine in which the kinetic energy of a moving fluid is converted into mechanical energy by causing a bladed rotor to rotate)

oar (an implement used to propel or steer a boat)

chopper; eggbeater; helicopter; whirlybird (an aircraft without wings that obtains its lift from the rotation of overhead blades)

Sense 9

Meaning:

The flat part of a tool or weapon that (usually) has a cutting edge

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("blade" is a kind of...):

cutting implement (a tool used for cutting or slicing)

Meronyms (parts of "blade"):

cutting edge; knife edge (the sharp cutting side of the blade of a knife)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "blade"):

knife blade (the blade of a knife)

razorblade (a blade that has very sharp edge)

Holonyms ("blade" is a part of...):

knife (edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle)

lawn mower; mower (garden tool for mowing grass on lawns)

pair of scissors; scissors (an edge tool having two crossed pivoting blades)

spatula (a hand tool with a thin flexible blade used to mix or spread soft substances)

spatula (a turner with a narrow flexible blade)

blade; brand; steel; sword (a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard)

ax; axe (an edge tool with a heavy bladed head mounted across a handle)

 Context examples 

Leaves usually consist of a blade, or lamina, supported upon a leafstalk or petriole.

(Leaf, Food and Drug Administration)

The stalk which supports the leaf blade.

(Petiole, Food and Drug Administration)

It did all our hearts good to see him spit in his hand, knit his brows, and make the blade sing through the air.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

“Right under the blade bone!” quoth the archer, sauntering forward for his arrow.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A cutting device usually consisting of a sharpened blade attached to a handle.

(Knife Device Component, NCI Thesaurus)

A mechanical heart valve where the valve mechanisms consists of two thin blades that hinge from the center and regulate the flow of blood.

(Heart Valve Leaflet Device Component, NCI Thesaurus)

Others polished the blade until all the rust was removed and it glistened like burnished silver.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

Penitentes are tall sharp-edged blades and spikes made of snow and ice that point towards the midday sun.

(Icy Warning for Space Missions to Jupiter's Moon, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

The blade is usually the largest and most conspicuous part; excludes the petiole and the stalk.

(Blade, Food and Drug Administration)

The clavicles connect the breastbone to the shoulder blades.

(Clavicle, NCI Dictionary)