# shadow

Pronunciation: say "SHA-doh" US /ˈʃædoʊ/, UK /ˈʃædəʊ/, AUS /ˈʃædəʉ/

## Noun

1. A dark image formed on a surface where something blocks light, or a similar effect added to text or images.
   - Simple: A dark shape made when something blocks light, or a similar shape added in a picture or design.
   - _His shadow grew longer as the sun sank toward the horizon._
   - _During the eclipse, the moon's shadow swept across a narrow band of the Pacific._
2. Relative darkness or gloom, especially as caused by the interruption of light.
   - Simple: Darkness in a place where the light is blocked or does not fully reach.
   - _The valley lay in shadow long after sunrise had reached the peaks._
   - _Thick shadow gathered beneath the old bridge as evening came on._
3. An influence on people or events, particularly one that is far-reaching or harmful.
   - Simple: A strong influence that hangs over people or events, often a bad one.
   - _The scandal cast a long shadow over the rest of his presidency._
   - _The famine's shadow still shapes how the country stores its grain decades later._
4. An area protected by an obstacle, much as an object blocks out sunlight.
   - Simple: A place that is blocked or protected by something large in front of it.
   - _Sheltered in the shadow of the headland, the anchorage stays calm even during storms._
   - _Cell reception drops in the shadow of the ridge, where the signal cannot reach._
5. Tinted makeup worn on the eyelids to give the eyes extra color or depth.
   - Simple: Colored makeup that people put on their eyelids to add color or make their eyes stand out.
   - _The makeup artist blended a smoky gray shadow into the crease of the model's lids._
   - _Shimmery shadows can look heavy in daylight, so she switched to a matte brown for work._
15. A situation in which someone or something receives less notice or credit because a better-known or more successful person or thing is nearby.
   - Simple: The state of being noticed or praised less because someone or something more famous or successful is near.
   - _For decades the smaller college lived in the shadow of its famous neighbor across the river._
   - _With her third novel, the author finally stepped out of her mother's shadow._
8. An imperfect and faint representation of something.
   - Simple: A faint or weak copy of something, not as full or strong as the real thing.
   - _The band's reunion tour was a shadow of their early performances._
   - _Today's downtown is a mere shadow of the busy district it was before the highway came._
11. A small degree of something; a slight shade or trace.
   - Simple: A very small amount of something, such as doubt or a feeling.
   - _She agreed without a shadow of hesitation._
   - _A shadow of a smile crossed his face when he heard the news._
13. An unconscious aspect of the personality; the side of the self that a person does not consciously acknowledge.
   - Simple: The hidden part of a person's mind that holds feelings and wishes they do not accept about themselves.
   - _Jung argued that confronting the shadow is the first step toward psychological growth._
   - _Her therapist urged her to face her shadow, the jealousy and anger she had always insisted were not part of her._
14. A spirit or ghost; the lingering presence of someone who has died.
   - Simple: A ghost or spirit of a dead person.
   - _Villagers claimed the miller's shadow still haunted the ruined mill._
   - _In the old ballad, a shadow rises from the grave to warn the king._
16. A person who follows someone else secretly or furtively, keeping watch on their movements.
   - Simple: A person who secretly follows someone and watches what they do.
   - _The agent spotted her shadow reflected in a shop window and slipped down a side street._
   - _After weeks of noticing the same gray sedan behind her, the reporter was certain she had picked up a shadow._
17. A companion so constant as to seem inseparable from the person they follow.
   - Simple: A person or animal that stays with someone all the time and never leaves their side.
   - _Wherever the chef moved in the kitchen, his new apprentice was his shadow._
   - _During the merger talks, the CEO's assistant was her shadow at every meeting._
19. A trainee assigned to accompany and observe an experienced officer while learning the job. *(UK)*
   - Simple: A new worker who learns the job by going everywhere with an experienced officer.
   - _Each new recruit spends a month as a shadow before patrolling alone._
   - _The inspector introduced her shadow to the rest of the team at the morning briefing._

## Adjective

6. Part of, or related to, the opposition in a government, rather than the party in power. *(Commonwealth)*
   - Simple: Belonging to the political party that is out of power and checks the government's work.
   - _The shadow chancellor criticized the government's spending plans in Parliament._
   - _After the election loss, she accepted a shadow portfolio covering foreign affairs._
9. Unofficial, hidden, or unrecognized, yet acting with real power or as if official, as in 'shadow economy'.
   - Simple: Working in secret or without official approval, but still having real power or effect.
   - _A shadow economy of unlicensed vendors flourished under the rationing system._
   - _From exile, the deposed president ran a shadow government that issued its own decrees._

## Verb

7. To track or follow someone secretly or discreetly, keeping them under surveillance.
   - Simple: To follow someone secretly to watch where they go and what they do.
   - _Two agents shadowed the diplomat through the crowded market._
   - _Detectives often shadow suspects for days before requesting a warrant._
10. To follow a professional through the workday in order to learn about a career one plans to pursue.
   - Simple: To spend time with someone at their job to learn how the work is done.
   - _Before applying to law school, he shadowed a public defender for a week._
   - _Many premed students shadow at local hospitals to confirm their interest in medicine._
12. To cast shade over something or block light from reaching it; to darken.
   - Simple: To make something darker by blocking light, or to make something look sad or gloomy.
   - _Old oaks shadow the entire courtyard by late afternoon._
   - _Grief shadowed her expression as she read the letter._
18. To represent faintly and imperfectly; to give a dim or partial picture of something.
   - Simple: To show or suggest something in a faint, incomplete way.
20. To hide or conceal something from sight or notice.
   - Simple: To hide something or keep it out of sight.

## Noun

21. An image produced by reflection, such as one seen in a mirror or on the surface of water. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: The image of something seen in a mirror or in still water.
22. An uninvited guest who attends a banquet or dinner in the company of an invited one. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A guest who comes to a dinner or party with an invited person, without being invited themselves.

## Other meanings

- (adjective) Holding an unofficial, unrecognized version of an office in order to press a claim to it, as with Washington, D.C.'s shadow senators.
- (verb) To hide an existing identifier, usually a variable, within a nested scope by introducing a new declaration with the same name.
- (verb) To copy the contents of ROM into faster RAM so that the system reads the code from RAM instead of the slower original chip.

## Origin

**Meanings 1–6, 8–9, 11, 13–17, 19, 21–22** — Old English sċeadu ("shadow, shade, darkness, protection") had an oblique form sċeadwe, which became Middle English schadowe. Behind it lie Proto-West Germanic *skadu, Proto-Germanic *skadwaz ("shade, shadow"), and finally Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱeh₃- ("darkness"). Relatives include Dutch schaduw, German Schatten, and Ancient Greek skótos ("darkness").
**Meanings 7, 10, 12, 18, 20** — Old English formed the verb sċeadwian by adding the verb-making suffix -ian to sċeadu ("shadow, shade"), and it became Middle English schadowen.

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