Word of the Day

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Even on Sundays, write a few sentences using the word of the day and post in the comments.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13

Penumbra

[peh-nəm-brə]Part of speech: noun

Origin: latin, mid-17th century

• The partially illuminated outer part of a shadow created by a solid object
• The outlying, fringe area in which a condition exists to a lesser degree

Examples of Penumbra in a sentence

• The shadow of the moon cast a hazy penumbra over a swath of Earth during the partial eclipse.
• The sunlight coming through the curtains created a penumbra on the rug in contrast to the solid wall.

About Penumbra

A penumbra creates a hazy outlying region where an object doesn't cast such a heavy shadow. As a result, the incomplete region of the object's shadow might appear like an ephemeral halo around its darker, more solid region.

Did you Know?

Penumbra comes from the fused Latin roots of paene-, meaning "almost," and umbra, meaning "shadow." The resulting definition gives us an "almost shadow."