shed
1shed
verb \ˈshed\shedshed·ding
Definition of SHED
transitive verb
1
chiefly dialect : to set apart : segregate
2
: to cause to be dispersed without penetrating <duck's plumage sheds water>
3
a : to cause (blood) to flow by cutting or wounding b : to pour forth in drops <shed tears> c : to give off or out <sheds some light on the subject>
4
: to give off, discharge, or expel from the body of a plant or animal: as a : to eject, slough off, or lose as part of the normal processes of life <a caterpillar shedding its skin> <a cat shedding hair> <a deciduous tree sheds its leaves in the fall> b : to discharge usually gradually especially as part of a pathological process <shed a virus in the feces>
5
: to rid oneself of temporarily or permanently as superfluous or unwanted <shed her inhibitions> <the company shed 100 jobs>
intransitive verb
1
: to pour out : spill
2
: to become dispersed : scatter
3
: to cast off some natural covering (as fur or skin) <the cat is shedding>
— shed blood
: to cause death by violence
Origin of SHED
Middle English, to divide, separate, from Old English scēadan; akin to Old High German skeidan to separate, Latin scindere to split, cleave, Greek schizein to split
First Known Use: before 12th century
Rhymes with SHED
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