blade
gb/blˈeɪd/ us/blˈeɪd/
B1
English
~ 5600
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
Flat cutting part of tool or weapon
The flat, thin, sharp part of a tool or weapon that cuts things.
Usage pattern:
the blade of [a tool/weapon]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "blade" to mean the whole knife. Use "blade" for the flat cutting part and "knife" for the whole object. Example: say "The blade is sharp," not "The blade is on the table" if you mean the whole knife.
Synonyms
cutting edge (Describes the sharpened edge itself rather than the whole flat cutting part.)
Antonyms
handle (Refers to the part held in the hand, the opposite end from the blade on a tool or weapon.)
Collocations
sharp blade
|dull blade
|knife blade
|razor blade
|clean the blade
|blade cuts
Themes
objects
|tools
|daily_life
|work
Examples
- Be careful, the blade of that knife is extremely sharp.
- He wiped the blood from the blade and set the knife down.
- The saw’s blade needs to be replaced before it breaks.
- She ran her finger lightly along the blade to check how sharp it was.
- The chef keeps each blade in his knife set carefully sharpened.
Learner examples
- The blade of this knife is very sharp.
- Please hold the knife by the handle, not by the blade.
- He cut the bread with a long blade.
- She cleaned the blade after she used the knife.
Noun
informal
B2
entity
2
Knife used as a weapon
A knife or other sharp weapon that a person carries, often for fighting.
Usage pattern:
[someone] carries a blade
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with the normal, non-weapon sense of "blade" (the cutting part of a tool). In crime or street contexts, "a blade" often means the whole knife as a weapon.
Synonyms
knife (The general word for this object; "blade" in this sense is more informal and often suggests an illegal weapon.)
Antonyms
firearm (A weapon that fires bullets, often contrasted with knives or other blade-type weapons.)
Collocations
carry a blade
|pull a blade
|wave a blade
|hide a blade
|threaten with a blade
Themes
crime
|violence
|daily_life
|law
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The police arrested him after they found a blade in his pocket.
- He pulled a blade on the man who refused to give him money.
- Security checks are designed to stop people bringing blades onto the plane.
- Street gangs in the area often carry blades for protection.
- Witnesses say the attacker used a small blade during the robbery.
Learner examples
- The man was arrested because he carried a blade.
- In some cities, young people carry blades for protection.
- The guard checked their bags to make sure there were no blades.
Noun
B2
entity
3
Flat part of fan or propeller
The flat part of a machine, like a fan or propeller, that turns and pushes air, water, or something else.
Usage pattern:
the blade of [a machine/tool]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think this only means something that cuts. In machines like fans or turbines, the blade’s main job is to move air or water, not to cut.
Synonyms
rotor blade (A more specific term for a blade on a rotating part such as a helicopter rotor or turbine.)
Antonyms
hub (The central part of a rotating machine that the blades are attached to, opposite in position to the blade.)
Collocations
fan blade
|rotor blade
|turbine blade
|propeller blade
|helicopter blade
|ice-skate blade
Themes
technology
|transport
|science
Examples
- One of the fan blades snapped off and flew across the room.
- Engineers redesigned the turbine blades to improve efficiency.
- The helicopter’s blades made a deafening noise as it took off.
- He checked each propeller blade carefully for cracks before the flight.
- Ice built up on the rotor blades during the storm.
Learner examples
- The fan blades move the air in the room.
- The helicopter blades turned faster and faster.
- There is a problem with one blade on the wind turbine.
- He cleaned the blades of the fan before turning it on.
Noun
B1
entity
4
Single narrow leaf of grass
One thin, narrow leaf of grass or a similar plant.
Usage pattern:
a blade of [type of grass/plant]
Common mistake:
Learners may think "blade" always means something sharp or metal. In the phrase "a blade of grass," it means one long, thin leaf of grass, not something that cuts.
Synonyms
leaf (General word; a blade of grass is a special long, narrow type of leaf.)
Antonyms
lawn (Refers to the whole area of many blades of grass together, the opposite of a single blade.)
Collocations
blade of grass
|green blades
|fresh blades of grass
|individual blades of grass
Themes
nature
|plants
|environment
Examples
- She watched a single blade of grass move in the wind.
- Every blade of grass was covered in dew.
- He pulled up a few blades of grass and rolled them between his fingers.
- The cow ate every last blade of grass in the field.
- Tiny insects were hiding between the blades of grass.
Learner examples
- A blade of grass moved in the wind.
- There is a drop of water on each blade of grass.
- The field was full of green blades of grass.
- He picked a blade of grass and put it in his mouth.
Noun
B2
entity
5
Flat bone of the shoulder
The flat bone in your upper back that is part of your shoulder.
Usage pattern:
[someone] hurts their shoulder blade
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "blade" alone means this bone, but in everyday English it is almost always used in the fixed phrase "shoulder blade."
Synonyms
scapula (The technical medical term for the shoulder blade; more formal and used in anatomy.)
Antonyms
spine (The central column of bones in the back, contrasted with the flat shoulder bones on the sides.)
Collocations
shoulder blade
|between the shoulder blades
|under the shoulder blade
|shoulder-blade pain
Themes
body
|health
|medicine
Examples
- She felt a sharp pain just below her left shoulder blade.
- The doctor gently pressed around his shoulder blades to find the source of the pain.
- He has a tattoo across both shoulder blades.
- Tension often builds up between the shoulder blades when you sit too long.
- The X-ray showed a small crack in the shoulder blade.
Learner examples
- My shoulder blade hurts when I move my arm.
- He has a tattoo on his left shoulder blade.
- The doctor touched my shoulder blade and asked if it hurt.
- You can feel your shoulder blades if you touch your upper back.
Grammar
Dictionary form
blade
IPA
GB/blˈeɪd/
US/blˈeɪd/
Syllables & stress
blade (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (blade)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: blade
- Plural: blades
Word family
Forms
blades
noun
Core family
bladed
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
bladeless
adjective
Expressions
blade of grass
1/blˈeɪd əv ɡɹˈæs/
fixed phrase
Single piece of grass
One thin, narrow leaf of grass.
Examples
- Not a single blade of grass was left after the cows finished eating.
- She lay down and played with a blade of grass between her fingers.
fan blade
1/fˈæn blˈeɪd/
fixed phrase
Flat part of fan that turns
One of the flat parts of a fan that turns and moves the air.
Examples
- Dust collected on the fan blades over the summer.
- One fan blade is bent, so the fan makes a strange noise.
knife blade
1/nˈaɪf blˈeɪd/
fixed phrase
Cutting part of a knife
The flat, sharp part of a knife that cuts things.
Examples
- He ran the knife blade under hot water to clean it.
- The knife blade was so dull that it could barely cut the tomato.
razor blade
1/ɹˈeɪzɚ blˈeɪd/
fixed phrase
Sharp metal piece for shaving
The thin, sharp metal part of a razor that cuts hair when you shave.
Examples
- Be careful when you change the razor blade so you don’t cut yourself.
- I need to buy some new razor blades before my trip.
rotor blade
1/ɹˈoʊtɚ blˈeɪd/
fixed phrase
technical
Blade on helicopter or turbine rotor
One of the long, flat parts that turn on a helicopter or turbine to move air.
Examples
- Ice on the rotor blades can be dangerous for helicopters.
- The engineers inspected each rotor blade for signs of damage.
shoulder blade
1/ʃˈoʊldɚ blˈeɪd/
fixed phrase
Flat bone in upper back
The flat bone in your upper back that is part of your shoulder.
Examples
- She has a small birthmark on her right shoulder blade.
- He felt a pulling pain between his shoulder blades after lifting the box.