shed

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To get rid of something you no longer want or need.

   The company shed hundreds of jobs during the recession.

2. 2
   verb

   To let hair, skin, leaves, or feathers fall off naturally.

   Our dog sheds a lot of hair every spring.

3. 3
   verb

   To let tears or blood fall.

   She shed a few tears as she said goodbye.

4. 4
   verb

   To send out or spread light.

   The lamp shed a warm glow across the room.

From Middle English scheden, schede, from Old English scēadan, scādan (“to separate, divide, part, make a line of separation between; remove from association or companionship; distinguish, discriminate, decide, determine, appoint; shatter, shed; expound; decree; write down; differ”), from Proto-West Germanic *skaiþan, from Proto-Germanic *skaiþaną (compare West Frisian skiede, Dutch and German scheiden), from Proto-Indo-European *skeyt- (“to cut, part, divide, separate”), from *skey-. See also Irish scian (“knife”), Lithuanian skėsti (“to spread”), ski̇́esti (“to separate”), Old Church Slavoni…

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