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shade
[ sheyd ]
noun
- the comparative darkness caused by the interception or screening of rays of light from an object, place, or area.
- a place or an area of comparative darkness, such as one sheltered from the sun.
- a lampshade.
- anything used for protection against excessive light, heat, etc.
- a shadow.
- the degree of darkness of a color, determined by the quantity of black or by the lack of illumination.
- comparative darkness, as the effect of shadow or dark and light, in pictorial representation; the dark part, or a dark part, of a picture or drawing.
- (in architectural shades and shadows) a shadow upon those parts of a solid that are tangent to or turned away from the parallel rays from the theoretical light source. Compare shadow ( def 11 ).
- shades,
- Informal. sunglasses ( def ).
- darkness gathering at the close of day:
Shades of night are falling.
- a reminder of something:
shades of the Inquisition.
- a slight variation or degree:
a shade of difference.
- a little bit; touch, especially of something that may change the color of or lighten or darken something else:
coffee with a shade of cream.
Synonyms: suggestion, hint, trace
- Usually shades. a secluded or obscure place:
He was living in the shades.
- comparative obscurity.
- Slang. insults, criticism, or disrespect delivered in an indirect, artful manner: No shade to anyone with kids out there, but I could never be a parent.
The network cast some subtle shade at its rival with its new advertisement.
No shade to anyone with kids out there, but I could never be a parent.
- a specter or ghost.
Synonyms: spirit, phantom, apparition
- Greek Mythology, Roman Mythology. one of the spirits of the dead inhabiting Hades.
- the shades, Hades, as the abode of the spirits of the dead.
verb (used with object)
- to produce comparative darkness in or on.
- to obscure, dim, or darken.
- to screen or hide from view.
- to protect (something) from light, heat, etc., by or as if by a screen:
It is important to shade the eyes from a bright light.
- to cover or screen (a candle, light, etc.):
Shade the light to protect your eyes.
- Fine Arts.
- to introduce degrees of darkness into (a drawing or painting) in order to render light and shadow or give the effect of color.
- to render the values of light and dark in (a drawn figure, object, etc.), especially in order to create the illusion of three-dimensionality.
- to change by imperceptible degrees into something else.
- to reduce (the price) by way of a concession.
- Slang. to insult, criticize, or disrespect (a person or thing) in an indirect, artful manner:
He got into a fight with someone who shaded his mom.
verb (used without object)
- to pass or change by slight graduations, as one color, quality, or thing into another.
verb phrase
- Agriculture. to take shelter (as livestock) from the sun.
shade
/ ʃeɪd /
noun
- relative darkness produced by the blocking out of light
- a place made relatively darker or cooler than other areas by the blocking of light, esp sunlight
- a position of relative obscurity
- something used to provide a shield or protection from a direct source of light, such as a lampshade
- a darker area indicated in a painting, drawing, etc, by shading
- a colour that varies slightly from a standard colour due to a difference in hue, saturation, or luminosity
a darker shade of green
- a slight amount
a shade of difference
- literary.a ghost
- an archaic word for shadow
- put in the shadeto appear better than (another); surpass
verb
- to screen or protect from heat, light, view, etc
- to make darker or dimmer
- to represent (a darker area) in (a painting, drawing, etc), by means of hatching, using a darker colour, etc
- also intr to change or cause to change slightly
- to lower (a price) slightly
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Derived Forms
- ˈshadeless, adjective
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Other Words From
- shade·less adjective
- shade·less·ness noun
- in·ter·shade verb (used with object) intershaded intershading
- sem·i·shade noun
- un·shade verb (used with object) unshaded unshading
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Word History and Origins
Origin of shade1
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Word History and Origins
Origin of shade1
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Idioms and Phrases
- cast / put someone in / into the shade, to make another person's efforts seem insignificant by comparison; surpass:
The architectural brilliance of the celebrated city put the sights of my hometown in the shade.
- throw shade, Slang. to insult, criticize, or disrespect a person or thing in an indirect, artful manner:
He threw some shade at his former boss.
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Synonym Study
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Example Sentences
The poor representation of people of color from around the world, and their range of facial features and skin shades, creates what researchers have called a “demographic bias” built into the technology.
That means the upper tiers of Wrigley are closer to the playing surface than those of parks that opened from 1992 to 2017, which have an average lower-deck shade of 26 percent.
In the videos the dogs lie around, keeping cool in the shade.
Another element to note was a slight front projection of the skull that not only provided the user with some shade but also provided practical protection from downward angled sword blows aimed at the head.
Trees provide homes for animals and shade for people on hot days.
Petty, shade, and thirst are my favorite human “virtues” and the trifecta of any good series of “stories.”
It took me 1,015 strokes to see this shade of green in a world of orange, and my jaw nearly dropped.
But publicly throwing shade at Louis Vuitton wasn't Kanye's first fashion faux pas.
Later schools empty out children, who race over to play games in the shade.
In the summer and in hotter regions, they provide shade for parked cars, preventing them from getting too hot.
The Seneschal leaned back, and was concerned to feel his pulses throbbing a shade too quickly.
The seeds of some species are of a dark brown while others are of a lighter shade.
Lady Maude sat alone in her room; the white robes upon her, the orthodox veil, meant to shade her fair face thrown back from it.
Nothing will be easier then to throw the Poles into the shade of the picture, or to occupy the foreground with a brilliant review.
Grandfather Mole demanded of Mr. Meadow Mouse, almost as soon as he had stepped just outside the shade of the toadstool.
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More About Shade
What is a basic definition of shade?
Shade is darkness created from something blocking light or a lighter or darker variation of a color. Shade also means to block light. The word shade has several other senses as a verb and a noun.
When something creates a shadow by blocking light, we say that it provides shade or causes shade. Usually, shade specifically refers to darkness caused by blocking sunlight, but it can result from light of any kind being blocked. If something gives shade or has a lot of shade, we say that it is shady.
- Real-life examples: Trees, umbrellas, and awnings are examples of things that often provide shade.
- Used in a sentence: I hid from the hot sun under the shade of the oak tree.
Shade also refers to a lighter or darker variation of color. You might like a dark blue, while your friend prefers a lighter shade of blue. The darker shade a color is, the more black it has in it. In contrast, a tint of a color is created when more white is added to it.
- Used in a sentence: I prefer the darker shade of green leaves become in the summer.
Shade also means to provide shadow or to shield something from light.
- Used in a sentence: I shaded my eyes from the bright lights.
The slang phrase to throw shade at someone means to insult or criticize them in an artful but indirect way.
- Used in a sentence: Isabella was so good at throwing shade that her targets often thought she was complimenting them.
Where does shade come from?
The first records of shade come from before the 900s. It ultimately comes from the Old English sceadu, meaning “shadow.”
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What are some other forms related to shade?
- shady (adjective)
- shadeless (adjective)
- shadelessness (noun)
- intershade (verb)
- semishade (noun)
- unshade (verb)
What are some synonyms for shade?
What are some words that share a root or word element with shade?
What are some words that often get used in discussing shade?
What are some words shade may be commonly confused with?
How is shade used in real life?
Shade is a common word that most often means shadow or darkness caused by something blocking light.
OK, so it's 9 o'clock and 90 degrees. Where are all those trees they took out at Oakmont? I need some shade!
— Ron Sirak (@ronsirak) July 8, 2010
With every degree the weather rises, so does my eagerness to order a hefty case of beers and hide in the shade.
— Dave Jewitt (@IrregularDave) August 6, 2020
Asking for shade in Arizona winters. Man I love this place. #Arizona #sunnyday
— Uncle Dubbies (@P_Dubbel) January 21, 2021
Try using shade!
Which of the following words is most likely to be used to describe shade?
A. silence
B. darkness
C. tasteless
D. odorless
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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