umbrella
(adjective) covering or applying simultaneously to a number of similar items or elements or groups; āan umbrella organizationā; āumbrella insurance coverageā
umbrella
(noun) having the function of uniting a group of similar things; āthe Democratic Party is an umbrella for many liberal groupsā; āunder the umbrella of capitalismā
umbrella
(noun) a formation of military planes maintained over ground operations or targets; āan air umbrella over Englandā
umbrella
(noun) a lightweight handheld collapsible canopy
Source: WordNet® 3.1
umbrella (plural umbrellas)
Cloth-covered frame used for protection against rain or sun.
Generally, anything that provides protection.
Something that covers a wide range of concepts, purposes, groups, etc.
The main body of a jellyfish, excluding the tentacles.
(photography, television) An umbrella-shaped reflector with a white or silvery inner surface, used to diffuse a nearby light.
• rainshade
• brolly (colloquial)
• gamp (dated, colloquial)
• parasol
umbrella (third-person singular simple present umbrellas, present participle umbrellaing, simple past and past participle umbrellaed)
(transitive) To cover or protect, as if by an umbrella.
(intransitive) To form the dome shape of an open umbrella.
(intransitive) To move like a jellyfish.
• umbellar
Source: Wiktionary
Um*brel"la, n. Etym: [It. umbrella, fr. ombra a shade, L. umbra; cf. L. umbella a sunshade, a parasol. Cf. Umbel, Umbrage.]
1. A shade, screen, or guard, carried in the hand for sheltering the person from the rays of the sun, or from rain or snow. It is formed of silk, cotton, or other fabric, extended on strips of whalebone, steel, or other elastic material, inserted, or fastened to, a rod or stick by means of pivots or hinges, in such a way as to allow of being opened and closed with ease. See Parasol. Underneath the umbrella's oily shed. Gay.
2. (Zoƶl.)
Definition: The umbrellalike disk, or swimming bell, of a jellyfish.
3. (Zoƶl.)
Definition: Any marine tectibranchiate gastropod of the genus Umbrella, having an umbrella-shaped shell; -- called also umbrella shell. Umbrella ant (Zoƶl.), the sauba ant; -- so called because it carries bits of leaves over its back when foraging. Called also parasol ant.
– Umbrella bird (Zoƶl.), a South American bird (Cephalopterus ornatus) of the family CotingidƦ. It is black, with a large handsome crest consisting of a mass of soft, glossy blue feathers curved outward at the tips. It also has a cervical plume consisting of a long, cylindrical dermal process covered with soft hairy feathers. Called also dragoon bird.
– Umbrella leaf (Bot.), an American perennial herb (Dyphylleia cymosa), having very large peltate and lobed radical leaves.
– Umbrella shell. (Zoƶl.) See Umbrella, 3.
– Umbrella tree (Bot.), a kind of magnolia (M. Umbrella) with the large leaves arranged in umbrellalike clusters at the ends of the branches. It is a native of Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Kentucky. Other plants in various countries are called by this name, especially a kind of screw pine (Pandanus odoratissimus).
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
6 June 2025
(noun) wit having a sharp and caustic quality; āhe commented with typical pungencyā; āthe bite of satireā
Contrary to popular belief, coffee beans are not technically beans. They are referred to as such because of their resemblance to legumes. A coffee bean is a seed of the Coffea plant and the source for coffee. It is the pit inside the red or purple fruit, often referred to as a cherry. Just like ordinary cherries, the coffee fruit is also a so-called stone fruit.
