English Explanatory Dictionary

adumbration

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The state of being in shadow or shade; (countable) a shadow.
  2. A faint sketch; a brief representation, an outline.
  3. The supposed practice of displaying only outline of a charge (“image displayed on an escutcheon”), sometimes filled in with a darker shade than the field.
  4. A rough or symbolic representation; a vague indication of what is to come, a foreshadowing.
  5. The form of an object as seen by an observer.

Pronunciation

/ˌædʌmˈbɹeɪʃ(ə)n/ /-əm-/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-adumbration.wav /ˌædəmˈbɹeɪʃ(ə)n/

Word forms

adumbration adumbrations

Etymology

From Latin adumbrātiō (“sketch; outline, silhouette; pretence, semblance”) + -ion (suffix indicating a condition or state). Adumbrātiō is derived from adumbrāre (present active infinitive of adumbrō (“to represent an object with light and shade, to shade; to represent in outline, to outline, silhouette, sketch; to cast a shadow on, overshadow, shade; to copy, counterfeit, imitate”)) + -tiō (suffix forming nouns relating to actions or the results of actions). Adumbrō is derived from ad- (prefix meaning ‘to, towards’) + umbrō (“to cast a shadow, to shade; to overshadow”) (from umbra (“shade; shadow; ghost”)).

Synonyms

shading shadowing

Related words

adumber adumbrate adumbrated adumbrative obumber obumbration umbra

Derived words

adumbrationism

Translations

Bulgarian: скица Dutch: ontwerp Dutch: schets German: Adumbration German: Anriss German: Entwurf German: Schilderung German: Skizze German: Umrandung German: Umriss Italian: abbozzo Italian: schizzo Latin: adumbrātiō Spanish: adumbracion Spanish: boceto Spanish: bosquejo Spanish: croquis Spanish: esbozo
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