# shade

Pronunciation: say "SHAYD" /ʃeɪd/

## Noun

1. Relative darkness in a place where sunlight or other light is blocked.
   - Simple: The cool, dark area you get when something blocks the sun.
   - _The hikers rested in the shade of an overhanging cliff._
   - _By afternoon the whole courtyard had fallen into shade._
2. A particular variety of a color, especially a lighter or darker version of it.
   - Simple: A particular version of a color, such as light blue or dark blue.
   - _The designer chose a deep shade of crimson for the curtains._
   - _Autumn leaves turn through countless shades of red and gold._
5. A device that blocks light, especially a covering pulled down over a window.
   - Simple: A cover you pull down over a window to block the light.
   - _He lowered the shades to block the afternoon glare._
   - _Each office window had a shade to cut the brightness._
6. A cover placed over or around a lamp, bulb, or candle to soften, direct, or block its light; a lampshade.
   - Simple: A cover that fits over a lamp or candle to make its light softer or send it in one direction.
   - _A paper shade softened the light in the reading corner._
   - _The antique lamp's shade was made of stained glass._
11. Subtle or indirect insults directed at someone. *(slang)*
   - Simple: Small, sneaky insults aimed at someone.
   - _Her acceptance speech was full of shade aimed at the critics._
   - _The post dripped with shade toward the company's new owners._
7. A slight amount or degree, or a subtle difference in meaning.
   - Simple: A very small amount or degree of something.
   - _The second cup of coffee was a shade stronger than the first._
   - _His tone grew a shade colder as the meeting went on._
8. A quality or aspect that brings something else to mind.
   - Simple: A quality that reminds you of something else.
   - _The novel carries shades of Gothic horror throughout._
   - _With its narrow canals and tall painted houses, the old harbor town has shades of Amsterdam._
9. The spirit of a dead person, appearing as a ghost or phantom. *(literary)*
   - Simple: The spirit of a dead person, seen as a ghost.
   - _A restless shade was said to haunt the crumbling abbey after dark._
   - _In the underworld, the hero spoke with the shades of fallen comrades._
10. Tinted glasses worn to shield the eyes from bright sunlight.
   - Simple: Dark glasses that you wear to protect your eyes from the sun.
   - _He showed up to the barbecue in flip-flops and a pair of mirrored shades._
   - _Don't forget your shades; the glare off the snow is brutal._

## Verb

3. To screen someone or something, including oneself, from direct light or glare, as with a hand, a hat, an awning, or foliage.
   - Simple: To keep strong light or sun off someone or something, for example with your hand, a hat, or a tree.
   - _He raised a hand to shade his eyes from the glare._
   - _A wide canopy shaded the patio from the midday sun._
4. To darken an area, especially in a drawing.
   - Simple: To make part of a drawing darker.
   - _The artist shaded the figure's left side to suggest depth._
   - _Carefully shade the sketch so the apple appears three-dimensional._
12. To subtly insult someone; to throw shade. *(slang)*
   - Simple: To insult someone in a sneaky, indirect way.
   - _Critics shaded the director's new film with faint praise._
   - _He never misses a chance to shade his competitors._
13. To vary or approach something by a slight degree, especially in color.
   - Simple: To slowly become a slightly different color or kind.
   - _The petals shade gradually from white at the base to deep red at the tips._
   - _Her mood shaded into something darker as the evening wore on._
14. To alter something slightly, adjusting it by a small degree.
   - Simple: To change something a little bit.
   - _The editor shaded the phrasing to soften its tone._
   - _Witnesses sometimes shade the truth without meaning to lie outright._
15. To win something by a narrow margin.
   - Simple: To win by just a little.
   - _The challenger shaded the opening set in a tense tiebreak._
   - _Veteran fighters tend to shade rounds that look even to the crowd._
16. Of a fielder, to shift position slightly from where one would normally stand.
   - Simple: To move a little from your usual spot on the field.
   - _With a right-handed pull hitter at the plate, the center fielder shaded a few steps toward left field._
   - _Infielders shade toward the gap when a pull hitter comes up._

## Verb

17. To shelter or protect someone or something from injury; to screen from danger. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To protect or cover someone from harm.
18. To present an image or shadow of something; to represent or symbolize it. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To represent something or stand as an image of it.

## Other meanings

- (verb) In a graphical interface, to collapse a window so that nothing but its title bar shows.

## Origin

**Meanings 1–2, 5–11** — Proto-Germanic *skadwaz ("shadow, shade") came down through Proto-West Germanic *skadu to Old English sċeadu, also "shadow, shade," which became Middle English schade.
**Meanings 3–4, 12–18** — From Middle English schaden, formed from the noun.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/shade (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).