(shadows, shadowing, shadowed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
A shadow is a dark shape on a surface that is made when something stands between a light and the surface.
An oak tree cast its shadow over a tiny round pool...
Nothing would grow in the shadow of the grey wall...
All he could see was his shadow.
N-COUNT
2.
Shadow is darkness in a place caused by something preventing light from reaching it.
Most of the lake was in shadow.
= shade
N-UNCOUNT: oft in N
3.
If something shadows a thing or place, it covers it with a shadow.
The hood shadowed her face.
VERB: V n
4.
If someone shadows you, they follow you very closely wherever you go.
The supporters are being shadowed by a large and highly visible body of police.
= follow
VERB: V n
5.
A British Member of Parliament who is a member of the shadow cabinet or who is a shadow cabinet minister belongs to the main opposition party and takes a special interest in matters which are the responsibility of a particular government minister.
...the shadow chancellor.
ADJ: ADJ n
•
Shadow is also a noun.
Clarke swung at his shadow the accusation that he was 'a tabloid politician'.
N-COUNT: poss N
6.
If you say that something is true without a shadow of a doubt or without a shadow of doubt, you are emphasizing that there is no doubt at all that it is true.
It was without a shadow of a doubt the best we've played.
PHRASE: usu with brd-neg [emphasis]
7.
If you live in the shadow of someone or in their shadow, their achievements and abilities are so great that you are not noticed or valued.
He has always lived in the shadow of his brother.
PHRASE: N inflects
8.
If you say that someone is a shadow of their former self, you mean that they are much less strong or capable than they used to be.
Johnson returned to the track after his ban but was a shadow of his former self.
PHRASE: Ns inflect