blade
gb/blˈeɪd/ us/blˈeɪd/
B1
Kiingereza
~ 5600
Maana
maana 0
Nomino
B1
entity
1
Flat cutting part of tool or weapon
The flat, thin, sharp part of a tool or weapon that cuts things.
Muundo wa matumizi:
the blade of [a tool/weapon]
Kosa la kawaida:
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.
Visawe
cutting edge (Describes the sharpened edge itself rather than the whole flat cutting part.)
Vinyume
handle (Refers to the part held in the hand, the opposite end from the blade on a tool or weapon.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
sharp blade
|dull blade
|knife blade
|razor blade
|clean the blade
|blade cuts
Mada
objects
|tools
|daily_life
|work
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- 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.
Nomino
informal
B2
entity
2
Knife used as a weapon
A knife or other sharp weapon that a person carries, often for fighting.
Muundo wa matumizi:
[someone] carries a blade
Kosa la kawaida:
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.
Visawe
knife (The general word for this object; "blade" in this sense is more informal and often suggests an illegal weapon.)
Vinyume
firearm (A weapon that fires bullets, often contrasted with knives or other blade-type weapons.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
carry a blade
|pull a blade
|wave a blade
|hide a blade
|threaten with a blade
Mada
crime
|violence
|daily_life
|law
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- 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.
Nomino
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.
Muundo wa matumizi:
the blade of [a machine/tool]
Kosa la kawaida:
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.
Visawe
rotor blade (A more specific term for a blade on a rotating part such as a helicopter rotor or turbine.)
Vinyume
hub (The central part of a rotating machine that the blades are attached to, opposite in position to the blade.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
fan blade
|rotor blade
|turbine blade
|propeller blade
|helicopter blade
|ice-skate blade
Mada
technology
|transport
|science
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- 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.
Nomino
B1
entity
4
Single narrow leaf of grass
One thin, narrow leaf of grass or a similar plant.
Muundo wa matumizi:
a blade of [type of grass/plant]
Kosa la kawaida:
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.
Visawe
leaf (General word; a blade of grass is a special long, narrow type of leaf.)
Vinyume
lawn (Refers to the whole area of many blades of grass together, the opposite of a single blade.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
blade of grass
|green blades
|fresh blades of grass
|individual blades of grass
Mada
nature
|plants
|environment
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- 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.
Nomino
B2
entity
5
Flat bone of the shoulder
The flat bone in your upper back that is part of your shoulder.
Muundo wa matumizi:
[someone] hurts their shoulder blade
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners sometimes think "blade" alone means this bone, but in everyday English it is almost always used in the fixed phrase "shoulder blade."
Visawe
scapula (The technical medical term for the shoulder blade; more formal and used in anatomy.)
Vinyume
spine (The central column of bones in the back, contrasted with the flat shoulder bones on the sides.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
shoulder blade
|between the shoulder blades
|under the shoulder blade
|shoulder-blade pain
Mada
body
|health
|medicine
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- 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.
Sarufi
Umbo la kamusi
blade
IPA
GB/blˈeɪd/
US/blˈeɪd/
Silabi na mkazo
blade (silabi 1)
Stress on 1st syllable (blade)
Maumbo ya neno
Noun
- Base: blade
- Plural: blades
Familia ya neno
Forms
blades
noun
Core family
bladed
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
bladeless
adjective
Semi
blade of grass
1/blˈeɪd əv ɡɹˈæs/
fixed phrase
Single piece of grass
One thin, narrow leaf of grass.
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano
- She has a small birthmark on her right shoulder blade.
- He felt a pulling pain between his shoulder blades after lifting the box.