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Added 9 October 2026

shade

/ʃeɪd/ noun

In Latin: umbra, umbrāculum Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about shade at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Darkness where light, particularly sunlight, is blocked.
The old oak tree gave shade in the heat of the day.
Something that blocks light, particularly in a window.
Close the shade, please: it's too bright in here.
A variety of a color, in particular one obtained by adding black (compare tint).
I've painted my room in five lovely shades of pink and chartreuse.

verb

To shield (someone or something) from light.
The old oak tree shaded the lawn in the heat of the day.
To shield oneself from light.
We shaded under a huge oak tree.
To alter slightly.
You'll need to shade your shot slightly to the left.

Origin

Inherited from Middle English schade, from Old English sċeadu, from Proto-West Germanic *skadu, from Proto-Germanic *skaduz, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱh₃tús, from *(s)ḱeh₃-. Doublet of shadow. Cognate with Ancient Greek σκότος (skótos) (whence English scoto-) and σκιά (skiá) (whence English scia-, and uncertainly via σκίουρος (skíouros) English squirrel).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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