blade
B1Neutral to slightly formal; can be technical in specific domains (botany, anatomy, engineering).
Definition
Meaning
The flat cutting edge part of a tool or weapon, especially a knife, sword, or razor.
A thin, flat, elongated object or part, including a leaf of grass, a shoulder bone, the metal runner of an ice skate, the broad part of an oar or propeller, a dashing or stylish young man, and in figurative use, a person or thing that is sharp, dangerous, or central to an activity.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term bridges concrete objects (a knife blade) with abstract qualities (living on the edge, being sharp). Its meaning is highly dependent on collocating nouns.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minor. 'Blade' for a smart young man is chiefly British (archaic/slang). 'Shoulder blade' is slightly more common in the UK than 'scapula' in everyday speech.
Connotations
In both, evokes sharpness, danger, precision, and sometimes sleek modernity (e.g., 'razor blade', 'fan blade').
Frequency
Equally common for core meanings (knife, grass). The verb form ('to blade' as in in-line skating) is more frequent in American English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[ADJ] bladeblade of [NOUN] (e.g., blade of grass)blade [VERB] (e.g., the blade gleamed)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “on the blade's edge (in a risky position)”
- “a blade of grass”
- “the blade of youth (archaic)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in manufacturing (e.g., 'turbine blade sales') and grooming ('razor blade subscription model').
Academic
In botany (leaf morphology), anatomy (scapula), and engineering (aerodynamics of turbine blades).
Everyday
Primarily for knives, razors, lawn care, and ice skating.
Technical
Specific terms in various fields: 'saw blade', 'impeller blade', 'blade server' (computing).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He used to blade around the park on his Rollerblades.
American English
- We're going blading along the beachfront this afternoon.
adverb
British English
- (Rarely used. Potential context: 'The skate cut blade-thin through the ice.')
American English
- (Rarely used. Potential context: 'The paper was sliced blade-sharp.')
adjective
British English
- The blade server architecture offers efficient cooling.
American English
- He preferred a blade-style putter for his golf game.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Be careful, the knife blade is very sharp.
- A single blade of grass grew in the crack.
- He sharpened the blade of his axe before chopping wood.
- The ice skater's blade glided smoothly across the rink.
- The helicopter's rotor blade was damaged in the storm.
- The surgeon selected a fresh, sterilised blade for the incision.
- The poet wrote of life being as fleeting as a blade of grass in the wind.
- Advanced blade geometry is critical for maximising turbine efficiency.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'BLADE' as 'Be Long And Dangerously Edged'.
Conceptual Metaphor
SHARPNESS IS INTELLIGENCE/DANGER ('a sharp mind', 'a cutting remark'); LIFE IS A GRASS BLADE ('the brevity of life').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate 'blade of grass' as 'травинка' without the 'blade of' construct; it's a direct calque 'лезвие травы'. Use 'травинка' or 'стебель травы'.
- Avoid confusing 'shoulder blade' (лопатка) with a shovel blade (лопата).
- 'Razor blade' is specifically 'лезвие бритвы', not just 'бритва'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'blade' for the entire knife/sword object (metonymy is acceptable but can be ambiguous).
- Incorrect pluralisation of compounds: 'shoulder blades', not 'shoulders blade'.
- Confusing 'blade' (cutting part) with 'point' (sharp tip).
Practice
Quiz
In which context does 'blade' NOT refer to a thin, flat object?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, while the core meaning involves a cutting edge, it extends to any thin, flat part (e.g., shoulder blade, blade of an oar, blade of grass).
A 'blade' is the physical, usually metal, part that has the cutting 'edge'. The 'edge' is specifically the sharpened line where cutting occurs.
Yes, informally, it means to skate using in-line skates (from the brand 'Rollerblade').
Due to its shape, which is broad, thin, and flat, resembling the blade of a spade or an oar.