spadeful
spadeful — noun
1. the amount of soil, sand, or other loose material that fits onto a spade in a si
the amount of soil, sand, or other loose material that fits onto a spade in a single lifting or digging motion
Tendai dug out a spadeful of soil and dumped it into the wheelbarrow.
pattern: a spadeful of + noun (soil)
Minho dropped a spadeful of sand onto the garden path and spread it flat.
pattern: a spadeful of + noun (sand)
Noa could barely lift a spadeful of wet clay from the bottom of the trench.
Jude scattered a spadeful of compost over the vegetable bed before planting the seeds.
pattern: a spadeful of + noun (compost)
Benjamin tossed a spadeful of gravel into the pothole and stamped it down with his boot.
spadeful of [material] in context of repair work
- a spadeful of soil
- a spadeful of sand
- a spadeful of gravel
- a spadeful of earth
- a spadeful of compost
- dig a spadeful
- lift a spadeful
- drop a spadeful
- shovelful
interchangeable in most contexts; 'shovelful' is slightly more common in American English
Grammar Patterns
a spadeful of + noun
Usage Note
Countable; almost always followed by 'of' and a noun describing the material being moved. Common in gardening, construction, and excavation contexts.