shading

noun shad·ing \ ˈshā-diŋ \

Updated on: 16 May 2018

Definition of shading

1 : the use of marking made within outlines to suggest three-dimensionality, shadow, or degrees of light and dark in a picture or drawing

2 : an interpretative effect in music gained especially by subtle changes in dynamics

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Recent Examples of shading from the Web

With Hicks offering no threat of a pick-off and shortstop Jose Iglesias shading Moustakas some 10 feet to the right of second base, Soler scampered while Boyd stepped off the rubber.

— anthony fenech, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Tigers' Ron Gardenhire takes blame for defensive collapse," 6 May 2018
My favorite thing that’s happened all day is the Jean Paul Gaultier Instagram shading Kim Kardashian for stealing their bottle design.

— kayleigh roberts, Marie Claire, "Kim Kardashian Has Been Accused of Ripping Off Her New Perfume Bottle," 27 Apr. 2018
The technology is intended to reduce light by activating internal shading and, by extension, reducing the ambient temperature.

— jaclyn gallucci, Fortune, "Airports Are Using ‘Smart Glass’ to Make You Spend More Money," 17 Apr. 2018
Being mighty was the thing, and if Dvorak’s Second Piano Quintet bore it more ably than piano quartets by Mozart (K. 478) and Faure (Opus 15), its kaleidoscope of shadings and feelings was likewise glossed over when not lost.

— alan artner, chicagotribune.com, "Evgeny Kissin and the Emerson String Quartet ride the wave to a perfect ending," 16 Apr. 2018
In the Third Piano Concerto, the soloist was the brilliant British pianist Benjamin Grosvenor, who played a demanding part with crisp articulation, beautiful shadings, keen attention to inner voices and tremendous imagination.

— anthony tommasini, New York Times, "Review: An Orchestral Odyssey Through Chaos and Beauty," 5 Apr. 2018
The idea is to use shading and patterning to fool the eye into seeing slimmer legs and butts.

— kelly bastone, Outside Online, "Tested: The North Face's Butt-Slimming Tights," 10 Apr. 2018
Super-hardy Sempervivums can add a lot of texture and color to your arrangement, as can Jovibarba heuffelii with its green leaves and purple shading.

— clare miers, star-telegram, "'Always a talking piece': Hardy succulents encourage container creativity | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 5 Apr. 2018
Cactuses, which have spines—mostly dead tissue for shading and protection that’s sort of a horticultural equivalent to fingernails—are a type of succulent.

— patrick sisson, Curbed, "Why cactuses and succulents are the perfect plants for this cultural moment," 4 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shading.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of shading

1663

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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SHADING Defined for English Language Learners

shading

noun

Definition of shading for English Language Learners

: the use of dark areas in a drawing, on a graph, etc.
shadings : small differences

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See words that rhyme with shading Nglish: Translation of shading for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of shading for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shading

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