Shovel
A shovel is a tool for lifting and moving loose material such as coal, gravel, snow, dirt or sand. It is usually a hand tool consisting of a broad blade with edges or sides which is fixed to a medium length handle. The term "shovel" is also applied to larger excavating machines such as steam shovels which are designed for the same purpose - lifting and moving material.
Hand shovels have been adapted for many different tasks and environments. They may be optimized for a single task or designed as cross-over or compromise tools to perform multiple tasks. For example:
- A coal shovel typically has a wide, flat blade with steeply turned sides, a flat face and a short D-handle.
- A snowshovel often has a very wide sideless blade that curves upward attached to a long, straight handle. It is designed as much for pushing the snow as for lifting it.
- A spade is designed primarily for breaking up ("spading") clumps of soil. A spade will usually have a point and is designed to be pushed into the soil with a foot. Spade blades usually have a rounded face without sharply upturned sides.
- A gardening trowel is a small single-hand implement for breaking up clumps in soil. Gardening trowels typically have strong, narrow blades with sharp points.
- An entrenching tool is a collapsible shovel designed for the military. It may have a spade-like point or even serrated edges for secondary use as an axe.
Toy shovels are common playthings on sandy beachs or in sandboxes.