blade

1 of 2

noun

ˈblād 

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

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

3

a

: the cutting part of an implement

b(1)

: sword

(2)

: swordsman

(3)

: a dashing lively man

c

: the runner of an ice skate

bladelike

ˈblād-ˌlīk 

adjective

blade

2 of 2

verb

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

2

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.

blader

ˈblā-dər 

noun

Synonyms

Noun

• brand
• steel
• sword

Examples of blade in a Sentence

Noun

the blade of an ax

dueled with blades rather than guns

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

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

Each of the four knives comes with a matching colored safety sheath to protect you and the blade when not in use. —Stephanie Osmanski, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2024

Plus, the stainless steel blade cartridge can be removed easily and placed in the dishwasher. —Jack Byram, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Apr. 2024

Initial analysis suggested the tattoos were incised with a blade and then impregnated with black pigment. —Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2024

Before eclipse glasses, there was obsidian, which was traded widely across Mesoamerica and crafted into tools and blades. —Simon Montlake, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Apr. 2024

Although not new, a second approach, called nacelle testing,includes simulating wind fields, rotor blades, and the electrical grid, which collectively allows researchers to simulate various wind and grid conditions. —IEEE Spectrum, 3 Apr. 2024

Chassis: The frame upon which the mower’s engine, blade, and mechanical parts are mounted. —Andrea Wurzburger, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 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

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English blæd; akin to Old High German blat leaf, Latin folium, Greek phyllon, Old English blōwan to blossom — more at blow

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1959, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing blade

• blade server
• razor blade
• shoulder blade

Kids Definition

blade

noun

ˈblād

1

a

: a leaf of a plant and especially of a grass

b

: the broad flat part of a leaf as distinguished from its stalk

2

a

: the broad flat part of an oar or paddle

b

: an arm of a propeller, electric fan, or steam turbine

3

a

: the cutting part of a tool

b

: sword sense 1

c

: the runner of an ice skate

4

: a bold lively man

bladed

ˈblād-əd

adjective

Medical Definition

blade

noun

ˈblād 

1

: 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)