Lapát

Lapát is a Hungarian noun with several related meanings, describing both a tool and a blade in various contexts.

The most common sense is a shovel or spade: a hand tool with a broad, flat blade attached to a handle, used for digging, moving loose material, or clearing snow. Shovels come in many forms, such as garden, coal, and snow shovels, and are typically made of metal or plastic with wooden or plastic handles. Durable variants may have reinforced blades or ergonomic grips.

A second meaning denotes the blade of a paddle or oar: the flat part that enters the water to propel a boat. In this sense, lapát can refer to any paddle blade, whether on a traditional oar or a modern rowing paddle.

In technical and engineering contexts, lapát denotes a blade in rotating devices or flow equipment, such as turbine blades, impeller blades, or fan blades. The term appears in compound words like lapátkerék (paddle wheel) and is used to describe blades in various machinery.

Grammatical notes: the plural form is lapátok, and the instrumental form is lapáttal; possessive and other forms follow standard Hungarian declension.

Usage and scope: the word is widely used across Hungarian language contexts and adapts to different shapes and materials, with its exact meaning determined by the surrounding context—from a simple digging tool to blades in sophisticated mechanical systems.