Etymology From Middle English blade, blad, from Old English blæd (“leaf”), from Proto-West Germanic *blad, from Proto-Germanic *bladą, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰl̥h₃-o-to-m, from *bʰleh₃- (“to thrive, bloom”). Cognate with West Frisian bled, German Blatt, Danish, Dutch, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish blad, Faroese and Icelandic blað, Irish bláth (“flower”), Welsh blodyn (“flower”), Tocharian A pält, Tocharian B pilta (“leaf”), Albanian fletë (“leaf”). Similar usage in German Sägeblatt (“saw blade”, literally “saw leaf”). Doublet of blat. More at blow.
The (typically sharp-edged) part of a knife, sword, razor, or other tool with which it cuts.
Sword. — The blade is straight, tapers gradually, is 32 9/16 inches long from shoulder to point, and is fullered on both sides, commencing 2 inches from the shoulder, to about 17 inches from the point, to a thickness of ·035 inch.1904, Great Britain. War Office, Dress Regulations for the Officers of the Army (including the Militia): 1904, page 100:
Paul: Give the Harkonnen a blade and let him stand forth. Shaddam IV: If Feyd wishes, he can meet you with my blade in his hand.1984, 2:08:29 from the start, in Dune (Science Fiction), →OCLC:
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Abbreviation, Ellipsis Ellipsis of razor blade.
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The flat functional end or piece of a propeller, oar, hockey stick, chisel, screwdriver, skate, etc.
Turbines have been around for a long time—windmills and water wheels are early examples. The name comes from the Latin turbo, meaning vortex, and thus the defining property of a turbine is that a fluid or gas turns the blades of a rotor, which is attached to a shaft that can perform useful work.2013 July-August, Lee S. Langston, “The Adaptable Gas Turbine”, in American Scientist:
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The narrow leaf of a grass or cereal.
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Biology, Botany, Natural sciences The thin, flat part of a plant leaf, attached to a stem (petiole).
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A flat bone, especially the shoulder blade.
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A cut of beef from near the shoulder blade (part of the chuck).
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Human sciences, Linguistics, Phonetics, Phonology, Sciences The part of the tongue just behind the tip, used to make laminal consonants.
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Archaeology, History, Human sciences, Sciences A piece of prepared, sharp-edged stone, often flint, at least twice as long as it is wide; a long flake of ground-edge stone or knapped vitreous stone.
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A throw characterized by a tight parabolic trajectory due to a steep lateral attitude.
He saw a Turnkey in a trice / Unfetter a troublesome blade;1834 [1799], Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Robert Southey, “The Devil's Thoughts”, in The Poetical Works of S. T. Coleridge, volume II, London: W. Pickering, page 85:
But very often blust'ring blades / Are Jerry Sneaks at home.1832, The Universal Songster: Or, Museum of Mirth, page 189:
2 more examples
Vice does not thrive here, because the young blades seek it elsewhere.1948, Jack Lait, Lee Mortimer, New York: Confidential!, Crown, published 1951, page 94:
Young blades were expected to kick over the traces and skirt disaster, before they graduated to matrimonial housekeeping.2009, Amanda Vickery, Behind Closed Doors, Yale University Press, page 77:
US, Slang An area of a city which is commonly known for prostitution.
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Thin plate, foil.
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Arts, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Photography One of a series of small plates that make up the aperture or the shutter of a camera.
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ArchitectureIn plural The principal rafters of a roof.
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Biology, Natural sciences The four large shell plates on the sides, and the five large ones of the middle, of the carapace of the sea turtle, which yield the best tortoise shell.
Climbing, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports Synonym of knifeblade.
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Mathematics, Sciences An exterior product of vectors. (The product may have more than two factors. Also, a scalar counts as a 0-blade, a vector as a 1-blade; an exterior product of k vectors may be called a k-blade.)
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The part of a key that is inserted into the lock.
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Athletics, Hobbies, Lifestyle, SportsInformal An artificial foot used by amputee athletes, shaped like an upside-down question mark.
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Athletics, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports A cleat on a shoe, particularly one that is longer and thinner than a stud.
They were 'Adidas Flanker' rugby shoes with six front and two heel studs; 'Puma King Pro' with four front and two heel studs; two 'Blades' boots, namely 'Mudrunner', with six front blades and four-crossed heel blades[…]2013 December 19, Aron Murphy, Thomas Reilly, Warwick Spinks, Science and Football IV, Routledge, →ISBN, page 5:
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Athletics, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports A football boot equipped with blade-type cleats.
Bruce Barry, principal lecturer in biomechanics at the institute, says: "I was very sceptical at first, but when I tested them, there was no doubt about it - you could see the players were faster in blades."1994, New Scientist:
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Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music The quality of singing with a pure, resonant sound; especially of a countertenor.
Etymology From Middle English blade, blad, from Old English blæd (“leaf”), from Proto-West Germanic *blad, from Proto-Germanic *bladą, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰl̥h₃-o-to-m, from *bʰleh₃- (“to thrive, bloom”). Cognate with West Frisian bled, German Blatt, Danish, Dutch, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish blad, Faroese and Icelandic blað, Irish bláth (“flower”), Welsh blodyn (“flower”), Tocharian A pält, Tocharian B pilta (“leaf”), Albanian fletë (“leaf”). Similar usage in German Sägeblatt (“saw blade”, literally “saw leaf”). Doublet of blat. More at blow.
As sweet a plant, as fair a flower, is faded / As ever in the Muses' garden bladed.1633, Phineas Fletcher, “Elisa”, in Piscatorie Eclogues and other Poetical Miscellanies:
Nowadays, blading happens on occasion in a televised match and more often on pay-per-view but the practice isn't used as much for several reasons, among them an increased awareness of the transmission of AIDS has made blading more dangerous.2008 February 10, Andrea Adelson, “Reality is often blurred”, in Orlando Sentinel, page C7:
Derived terms
hydroblade
Blade
noun
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Ball games, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Soccer, Sports Someone connected with Sheffield United Football Club, as a fan, player, coach etc.