shadow

A2 Topic:Photography & Images

Also spelled shadder

US /ˈʃædoʊ/ UK /ˈʃædəʊ/ See IPA manual

Freq #2497

Meanings

1

noun
A dark shape made on a surface when something blocks the light.

My shadow lengthened as the sun began to set.
2

noun
An area of darkness where light is blocked.

She waited quietly in the shadow of the doorway.
3

verb
To follow someone closely, often secretly.

The detective shadowed the suspect for three days.
4

noun
A strong, overpowering presence that affects everything around it.

The children grew up in the shadow of their famous parents.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Word family

Forms shadowedshadowingshadowlessshadows

Derived forms antishadowbackshadowbackshadowingbeshadebeshadowchromoshadowenshadoweyeshadowforeshadowforeshadowingjob-shadownonshadow

Related forms scoto-

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

shadow cabinet
senior opposition politicians assigned to scrutinize corresponding government ministers

Noun + noun

Proverbs (2)

See all

Etymology

From Middle English schadowe, schadewe, schadwe (also schade > shade), from Old English sċeaduwe, sċeadwe, oblique form of sċeadu (“shadow, shade; darkness; protection”), from Proto-West Germanic *skadu, from Proto-Germanic *skaduz (“shade, shadow”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱeh₃- (“darkness”). Cognates Cognate with Scots shedda (“shadow”), Saterland Frisian Skaad, Skade (“shade, shadow”), West Frisian skaad, skâd (“shade, shadow”), Central Franconian and Limburgish Schatte (“shadow”), Dutch schade, schaduw (“shadow”), German Schatten (“shade, shadow”), German Low German Scharr, Scharre (“…

*(s)ḱeh₃- Proto-Indo-European schadowe Middle English sċeaduwe Old English *skadu Proto-West Germanic *skaduz Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Photography & Images General Vocabulary

External links

# shadow

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈʃædoʊ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈʃædəʊ/
**Frequency rank:** 2497

## Meanings
1. A dark shape made on a surface when something blocks the light.
2. An area of darkness where light is blocked.
3. To follow someone closely, often secretly.
4. A strong, overpowering presence that affects everything around it.

## Examples
- My shadow lengthened as the sun began to set.
- She waited quietly in the shadow of the doorway.
- The detective shadowed the suspect for three days.
- The children grew up in the shadow of their famous parents.

## Derived Forms
- antishadow
- backshadow
- backshadowing
- beshade
- beshadow
- chromoshadow
- enshadow
- eyeshadow
- foreshadow
- foreshadowing
- job-shadow
- nonshadow

## Related Forms
- scoto-

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *(s)ḱeh₃-
- Root: schadowe
- Root: sċeaduwe
- Root: *skadu
- Root: *skaduz

## Etymology
From Middle English schadowe, schadewe, schadwe (also schade > shade), from Old English sċeaduwe, sċeadwe, oblique form of sċeadu (“shadow, shade; darkness; protection”), from Proto-West Germanic *skadu, from Proto-Germanic *skaduz (“shade, shadow”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱeh₃- (“darkness”). Cognates Cognate with Scots shedda (“shadow”), Saterland Frisian Skaad, Skade (“shade, shadow”), West Frisian skaad, skâd (“shade, shadow”), Central Franconian and Limburgish Schatte (“shadow”), Dutch schade, schaduw (“shadow”), German Schatten (“shade, shadow”), German Low German Scharr, Scharre (“…

## AI Etymology
Shadow is from Middle English schadowe, schadewe, schadwe (also schade > shade), from Old English sċeaduwe, sċeadwe, oblique form of sċeadu (“shadow, shade; darkness; protection”), from Proto-West Germanic *skadu, from Proto-Germanic *skaduz (“shade, shadow”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱeh₃- (“darkness”). Important forms in the word's history include Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱeh₃-, Middle English schadowe, Old English sċeaduwe, Proto-West Germanic *skadu, Proto-Germanic *skaduz. In current use it includes senses such as A dark shape made on a surface when something blocks the light and An area of darkness where light is blocked.

## Topics
- Photography & Images
- General Vocabulary

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