shears vs spade

shears

noun
  • A tool consisting of two blades with bevel edges, connected by a pivot, used for cutting cloth, or for removing the fleece from sheep etc. 

  • Anything resembling a pair of shears in shape or motion, such as a pair of wings. 

  • The bedpiece of a machine tool, upon which a table or slide rest is secured. 

  • An apparatus for raising heavy weights, and especially for stepping and unstepping the lower masts of ships. It consists of two or more spars or pieces of timber, fastened together near the top, steadied by a guy or guys, and furnished with the necessary tackle. Also sheers. 

spade

noun
  • A garden tool with a handle and a flat blade for digging. Not to be confused with a shovel which is used for moving earth or other materials. 

  • A playing card marked with the symbol ♠. 

  • A castrated man or animal. 

  • A black person. 

  • A cutting instrument used in flensing a whale. 

  • A hart or stag three years old. 

verb
  • To turn over soil with a spade to loosen the ground for planting. 

How often have the words shears and spade occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )