long-handled spade
Noun: A long-handled spade is a digging tool. It consists of a metal blade and a notably long wooden or fiberglass shaft. This design allows the user to stand more upright while digging narrow, deep holes or trenches, reducing back strain compared to shorter tools.
The term long-handled spade specifically describes the tool's physical characteristic—its extended handle. It is used for tasks requiring deeper, more vertical digging. - The gardener used a long-handled spade to plant the new tree without bending over excessively. - For digging a narrow post hole, a long-handled spade is more efficient than a standard shovel.
- The long-handled spade is often contrasted with a "trenching shovel" or "drain spade," which may also have long handles but typically feature narrower, straighter blades designed specifically for ditches.
- In archaeological fieldwork, a long-handled spade might be preferred for initial excavation layers to maintain better posture during prolonged digging.
- Spade (n): A general term for a digging tool with a flat, rectangular metal blade.
- Trenching Shovel (n): A similar long-handled tool with a narrow, pointed blade optimized for digging straight-sided trenches.
- D-Handle Spade (n): A spade with a shorter handle that has a "D" grip, offering different leverage and control.
- Ditch spade
- Trenching spade (when referring to a similar long-handled tool for narrow digging)
Note: There are no common idioms or phrasal verbs that incorporate the specific term "long-handled spade." The word "spade" itself appears in idioms such as "to call a spade a spade" (to speak plainly), but this idiom does not reference the specific "long-handled" variety.
- a spade with a long handle for digging narrow ditches