shade

/ʃˈeɪd/ · 1 syllable

Meaning

noun

relative darkness caused by light rays being intercepted by an opaque body
“it is much cooler in the shade”
a quality of a given color that differs slightly from another color
“after several trials he mixed the shade of pink that she wanted”
protective covering that protects something from direct sunlight
“they used umbrellas as shades”
a subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude
“without understanding the finer nuances you can't enjoy the humor”
a position of relative inferiority
“an achievement that puts everything else in the shade”
a slight amount or degree of difference
“a tad too expensive”
a mental representation of some haunting experience
“he looked like he had seen a ghost”
a representation of the effect of shadows in a picture or drawing (as by shading or darker pigment)
a protective ornamental covering for a lamp, used to screen a light bulb from direct view

verb

cast a shadow over
represent the effect of shade or shadow on
protect from light, heat, or view
“Shade your eyes when you step out into the bright sunlight”
vary slightly
“shade the meaning”
pass from one quality such as color to another by a slight degree
“the butterfly wings shade to yellow”

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