shade

¹shade

noun \ˈshād\

Definition of SHADE

1

a : comparative darkness or obscurity owing to interception of the rays of light

b : relative obscurity or retirement

2

a : shelter (as by foliage) from the heat and glare of sunlight

b : a place sheltered from the sun

3

: an evanescent or unreal appearance

4

plural

a : the shadows that gather as darkness comes on

b : netherworld, hades

5

a : a disembodied spirit : ghost

b —used to signal the similarity between a previously encountered person or situation and one at hand ; usually used in plural <shades of my childhood>

6

: something that intercepts or shelters from light, sun, or heat: as

a : a device partially covering a lamp so as to reduce glare

b : a flexible screen usually mounted on a roller for regulating the light or the view through a window

c plural : sunglasses

7

a : the reproduction of the effect of shade in painting or drawing

b : a subdued or somber feature

8

a : a color produced by a pigment or dye mixture having some black in it

b : a color slightly different from the one under consideration

9

a : a minute difference or variation : nuance

b : a minute degree or quantity

10

: a facial expression of sadness or displeasure

— shade·less \-ləs\ adjective

Examples of SHADE

1. The buildings cast shade on the plaza.
2. The tree provided plenty of shade.
3. These plants grow well in shade.
4. It was a hot sunny day, but luckily their seats for the game were in the shade.
5. We sat in the shade of a willow tree.
6. He used his hand as a shade as he looked out into the bright sunlight.
7. a lamp with a broken shade
8. She pulled down the shades.
9. She was wearing a cool pair of shades.

Origin of SHADE

Middle English, from Old English sceadu; akin to Old High German scato shadow, Greek skotos darkness

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to SHADE

Synonyms

dusk, penumbra, shadiness, shadow, umbra

Antonyms

blaze, brightness, brilliance, day, daylight, glare, glow, light, lightness

Related Words

blackness, dimness, duskiness, gloom, gloominess, murkiness, obscurity, semidarkness, somberness; cloudiness

Near Antonyms

brightness, brilliance, effulgence, illumination, incandescence, light, lightness, lucidity, lucidness, luminance, luminosity, luminousness, radiance, radiancy

Rhymes with SHADE

Ade, aid, aide, blade, braid, cade, clade, fade, glade, grade, jade, lade, made, maid, paid, raid, rayed, spade, stade, staid, suede, trade, wade

²shade

verb

shad·edshad·ing

Definition of SHADE

transitive verb

1

a : to shelter or screen by intercepting radiated light or heat

b : to cover with a shade

2

: to hide partly by or as if by a shadow

3

: to darken with or as if with a shadow

4

: to better or exceed by a shade

5

a : to represent the effect of shade or shadow on

b : to add shading to

c : to color so that the shades pass gradually from one to another

6

: to change by gradual transition or qualification

7

: to reduce slightly (as a price)

8

: slant, bias

intransitive verb

1

: to pass by slight changes or imperceptible degrees

2

: to undergo or exhibit minute difference or variation

— shad·er noun

Examples of SHADE

1. Several large trees shade the house.
2. She shaded the drawing to give it depth.
3. The shaded part of the graph represents the amount of sales.
4. The article shaded the truth by revealing only one side of the story.

First Known Use of SHADE

14th century

Related to SHADE

Synonyms

shadow

Related Words

cloud, darken, dim, dull, overcast, overshadow; canopy, cover, protect, screen

Near Antonyms

illuminate, light, lighten; expose