SHADOW

shadow

(noun) refuge from danger or observation; “he felt secure in his father’s shadow”

apparition, phantom, phantasm, phantasma, fantasm, shadow

(noun) something existing in perception only; “a ghostly apparition at midnight”

trace, vestige, tincture, shadow

(noun) an indication that something has been present; “there wasn’t a trace of evidence for the claim”; “a tincture of condescension”

shadow

(noun) a premonition of something adverse; “a shadow over his happiness”

darkness, dark, shadow

(noun) an unilluminated area; “he moved off into the darkness”

shadow

(noun) an inseparable companion; “the poor child was his mother’s shadow”

tail, shadow, shadower

(noun) a spy employed to follow someone and report their movements

shadow

(noun) a dominating and pervasive presence; “he received little recognition working in the shadow of his father”

shadow

(noun) shade within clear boundaries

shadow

(verb) follow, usually without the person’s knowledge; “The police are shadowing her”

shadow, overshadow, dwarf

(verb) make appear small by comparison; “This year’s debt dwarfs that of last year”

shadow, shade, shade off

(verb) cast a shadow over

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Noun

shadow (countable and uncountable, plural shadows)

A dark image projected onto a surface where light (or other radiation) is blocked by the shade of an object.

Relative darkness, especially as caused by the interruption of light; gloom, obscurity.

A area protected by an obstacle (likened to an object blocking out sunlight).

(obsolete) A reflected image, as in a mirror or in water.

That which looms as though a shadow.

A small degree; a shade.

An imperfect and faint representation.

(UK, police) A trainee, assigned to work with an experienced officer.

One who secretly or furtively follows another.

An inseparable companion.

(typography) A drop shadow effect applied to lettering in word processors etc.

An influence, especially a pervasive or a negative one.

A spirit; a ghost; a shade.

(obsolete, Latinism) An uninvited guest accompanying one who was invited.

Synonym: umbra

(psychology) In Jungian psychology, an unconscious aspect of the personality.

Usage notes

• A person (or object) is said to "cast", "have", or "throw" a shadow if that shadow is caused by the person (either literally, by eclipsing a light source, or figuratively). The shadow may then be described as the shadow "cast" or "thrown" by the person, or as the shadow "of" the person, or simply as the person's shadow.

Verb

shadow (third-person singular simple present shadows, present participle shadowing, simple past and past participle shadowed)

(transitive) To shade, cloud, or darken.

(transitive) To block light or radio transmission from.

(espionage) To secretly or discreetly track or follow another, to keep under surveillance.

(transitive) To represent faintly and imperfectly.

(transitive) To hide; to conceal.

(transitive) To accompany (a professional) during the working day, so as to learn about an occupation one intends to take up.

(transitive, programming) To make (an identifier, usually a variable) inaccessible by declaring another of the same name within the scope of the first.

(transitive, computing) To apply the shadowing process to (the contents of ROM).

Adjective

shadow (comparative more shadow, superlative most shadow)

Unofficial, informal, unauthorized, but acting as though it were.

Having power or influence, but not widely known or recognized.

(politics) Acting in a leadership role before being formally recognized.

(AU, politics) Part of, or related to, the opposition in government.

Proper noun

Shadow

A surname.

Source: Wiktionary

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Shad"ow, n. Etym: [Originally the same word as shade. sq. root162. See Shade.]

1. Shade within defined limits; obscurity or deprivation of light, apparent on a surface, and representing the form of the body which intercepts the rays of light; as, the shadow of a man, of a tree, or of a tower. See the Note under Shade, n., 1.

2. Darkness; shade; obscurity. Night's sable shadows from the ocean rise. Denham.

3. A shaded place; shelter; protection; security. In secret shadow from the sunny ray, On a sweet bed of lilies softly laid. Spenser.

4. A reflected image, as in a mirror or in water. Shak.

5. That which follows or attends a person or thing like a shadow; an inseparable companion; hence, an obsequious follower. Sin and her shadow Death. Milton.

6. A spirit; a ghost; a shade; a phantom. "Hence, horrible shadow!" Shak.

7. An imperfect and faint representation; adumbration; indistinct image; dim bodying forth; hence, mystical reprresentation; type. The law having a shadow of good things to come. Heb. x. 1. [Types] and shadows of that destined seed. Milton.

8. A small degree; a shade. "No variableness, neither shadow of turning." James i. 17.

9. An uninvited guest coming with one who is invited. [A Latinism] Nares. I must not have my board pastered with shadows That under other men's protection break in Without invitement. Massinger. Shadow of death, darkness or gloom like that caused by the presence or the impending of death. Ps. xxiii. 4.

Shad"ow, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shadowed; p. pr. & vb. n. Shadowing.] Etym: [OE. shadowen, AS. sceadwian. See adow, n.]

1. To cut off light from; to put in shade; to shade; to throw a shadow upon; to overspead with obscurity. The warlike elf much wondered at this tree, So fair and great, that shadowed all the ground. Spenser.

2. To conceal; to hide; to screen. [R.] Let every soldier hew him down a bough. And bear't before him; thereby shall we shadow The numbers of our host. Shak.

3. To protect; to shelter from danger; to shroud. Shadoving their right under your wings of war. Shak.

4. To mark with gradations of light or color; to shade.

5. To represent faintly or imperfectly; to adumbrate; hence, to represent typically. Augustus is shadowed in the person of Dryden.

6. To cloud; to darken; to cast a gloom over. The shadowed livery of the burnished sun. Shak. Why sad I must not see the face O love thus shadowed. Beau & Fl.

7. To attend as closely as a shadow; to follow and watch closely, especially in a secret or unobserved manner; as, a detective shadows a criminal.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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