spade work

spade·work

[speyd-wurk]
noun
preliminary or initial work, such as the gathering of data, on which further activity is to be based.

Origin:
1770–80; spade1 + work

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Collins
World English Dictionary
spadework (ˈspeɪdˌwɜːk) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
dull or routine preparatory work

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Spade work is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
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