plural blades
1
a
: leaf sense 1a(1)
especially
: the leaf of an herb or a grass
b
: the flat expanded part of a leaf as distinguished from the petiole : lamina sense 3a
2
: something resembling the blade of a leaf: such as
a
: the broad flattened part of an oar or paddle
b
: an arm of a screw propeller, electric fan, or steam turbine
c
: the broad flat or concave part of a machine (such as a bulldozer or snowplow) that comes into contact with the material to be moved
d
: a broad flat body part
specifically
: scapula
—used chiefly in naming cuts of meat
Top blade steaks range from four to eight ounces each. —
Molly Stevens
see also shoulder blade
Molly Stevens
e
: the flattened photosynthetic part of an algae that typically arises from the stipe : lamina sense 3b
f
: the flat portion of the tongue immediately behind the tip
also
: this portion together with the tip
bladed; blading
1
transitive
golf
: to hit (a ball or shot) with the leading edge of the clubface : skull
I hit a wedge from 45 yards and basically bladed it over the green.—Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods2
intransitive
: to skate on in-line skates
Connect a pair of these wild things to your feet and you are blading—cruising with all the cool of ice skating but without the ice.—Bob Batz, Jr.
Bob Batz, Jr.Synonyms
Examples of blade in a Sentence
Noun
the blade of an ax
dueled with blades rather than guns
Recent Examples on the WebAspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2024
If they are too widely spaced, once the first blade drags across a hair, the skin can start to bulge slightly and get nicked by the next blade.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 23 Apr. 2024
The heat of the water can dull the blades and damage the wood.
—USA TODAY, 20 Apr. 2024
That could be a larger in-line style spinner or a spinnerbait, but the bottom line is that pike respond to the flash and vibration emitted by spinners blades practically year-round.
—Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 18 Apr. 2024
The result: many developers have taken for granted that the biggest blades will only work for offshore wind projects.
—Justin Worland, TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
Another 35 pieces were domestic tools: digging sticks, pointed tools for piercing or working hides, and shafts that likely served as handles for axes or stone blades.
—Byandrew Curry, science.org, 1 Apr. 2024
Just place the can and lower the lever, and the electric blade will open the can without effort.
—Rachael Schultz, Verywell Health, 15 Apr. 2024
Four people were killed by spinning rotor blades; a fifth was killed by a blade that careened to the street below.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2024
Favorite Hobbies: Hiking, roller blading, studying astrology, reading, camping, cooking for friends, listening to music.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 6 Sep. 2023
When the time came to haul the towers and blades out to sea, they were loaded on a barge that could hold enough parts to make a single turbine.
—Patrick McGeehan, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2024
And at less than 25 cents a blade, a pack of 50 should last me more than a year, since the brand notes that most users swap blades out every five to eight shaves.
—Erika Veurink, wsj.com, 27 Dec. 2023
As part of the procedure, doctors use a laser or bladed catheter to remove plaque from the patients’ vessel walls.
—Annie Waldman, ProPublica, 12 Dec. 2023
Treatments include widening the arteries with stents and balloons and clearing plaque from vessel walls with a laser or bladed catheter, also known as an atherectomy.
—Annie Waldman, ProPublica, 12 Dec. 2023
Roller blading to the grocery store; running in the park with her daughter; performing martial arts and walking the beat as a private security guard.
—Ann E. Marimow, Washington Post, 3 Oct. 2023
Steel recipes are designed to balance or accentuate properties such as ease of sharpness, edge wearability, blade hardness, and overall sharpness, and there isn’t one best choice for all applications.
—T. Edward Nickens, Field & Stream, 5 Oct. 2023
Noun
Archaeologists identified the Excalibur sword based on the size and shape of its blade, the handle design and the material that surrounded it in the grave, city officials said.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2024
If they are too widely spaced, once the first blade drags across a hair, the skin can start to bulge slightly and get nicked by the next blade.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 23 Apr. 2024
The heat of the water can dull the blades and damage the wood.
—USA TODAY, 20 Apr. 2024
That could be a larger in-line style spinner or a spinnerbait, but the bottom line is that pike respond to the flash and vibration emitted by spinners blades practically year-round.
—Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 18 Apr. 2024
The result: many developers have taken for granted that the biggest blades will only work for offshore wind projects.
—Justin Worland, TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
Another 35 pieces were domestic tools: digging sticks, pointed tools for piercing or working hides, and shafts that likely served as handles for axes or stone blades.
—Byandrew Curry, science.org, 1 Apr. 2024
Just place the can and lower the lever, and the electric blade will open the can without effort.
—Rachael Schultz, Verywell Health, 15 Apr. 2024
Four people were killed by spinning rotor blades; a fifth was killed by a blade that careened to the street below.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
Verb
Here’s how to make cleaning ceiling fan blades a breeze with a pillowcase and a little vinegar.
—Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2024
Favorite Hobbies: Hiking, roller blading, studying astrology, reading, camping, cooking for friends, listening to music.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 6 Sep. 2023
When the time came to haul the towers and blades out to sea, they were loaded on a barge that could hold enough parts to make a single turbine.
—Patrick McGeehan, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2024
And at less than 25 cents a blade, a pack of 50 should last me more than a year, since the brand notes that most users swap blades out every five to eight shaves.
—Erika Veurink, wsj.com, 27 Dec. 2023
As part of the procedure, doctors use a laser or bladed catheter to remove plaque from the patients’ vessel walls.
—Annie Waldman, ProPublica, 12 Dec. 2023
Treatments include widening the arteries with stents and balloons and clearing plaque from vessel walls with a laser or bladed catheter, also known as an atherectomy.
—Annie Waldman, ProPublica, 12 Dec. 2023
Roller blading to the grocery store; running in the park with her daughter; performing martial arts and walking the beat as a private security guard.
—Ann E. Marimow, Washington Post, 3 Oct. 2023
Steel recipes are designed to balance or accentuate properties such as ease of sharpness, edge wearability, blade hardness, and overall sharpness, and there isn’t one best choice for all applications.
—T. Edward Nickens, Field & Stream, 5 Oct. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blade.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near blade
Cite this Entry
“Blade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blade. Accessed 1 May. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
blade
noun1
: a broad flat body part (as the shoulder blade)
2
: the flat portion of the tongue immediately behind the tip
also
: this portion together with the tip
3
: a flat working and especially cutting part of an implement (as a scalpel)
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