spade ‧ work /ˈspeɪd-wɜːk $ -wɜːrk/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
hard work that has to be done in preparation before something can happen SYN legwork :
Most of the spadework had been done by 1981.
spade ‧ work /ˈspeɪd-wɜːk $ -wɜːrk/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
hard work that has to be done in preparation before something can happen SYN legwork :
Most of the spadework had been done by 1981.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. Longman - Словарь современного английского языка. 2012