shades
shades Lexical Profile
shades Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Comparative darkness caused by the interception of light, or distinct variations and gradations of a color.
"The artist blended several shades of blue to capture the depth of the ocean."
A pair of sunglasses worn to protect the eyes from bright sunlight or as a fashion accessory (informal).
"She put on her dark shades before stepping out into the bright summer sunshine."
Movable coverings or screens, such as window blinds or lampshades, used to block, filter, or diffuse light.
"He pulled down the window shades to keep the afternoon heat out of the living room."
Things that serve as a reminder or faint suggestion of someone or something from the past (usually followed by 'of').
"Critics noted that the young director's debut film showed unmistakable shades of classic noir cinema."
• verb
To screen, cover, or protect from direct light or heat.
"The ancient oak tree shades the entire patio during the hottest hours of the day."
To darken or color part of a drawing or painting with parallel lines or a block of tone to create the illusion of depth and shadow.
"The illustrator carefully shades the portrait with charcoal to give the face realistic dimension."
To pass or change gradually and imperceptibly from one color, state, or quality into another.
"Along the horizon, the deep indigo of the evening sky shades into a soft violet."
• Rhymes for shades
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'sceadu', meaning shadow, darkness, or shelter from heat, derived from Proto-Germanic '*skadwaz'. The informal plural sense referring to sunglasses emerged in American slang during the 1940s.