shading

American  

[shey-ding] / ˈʃeɪ dɪŋ /

noun

1. a slight variation or difference of color, character, etc.

2. the act of a person or thing that shades.

3. the representation of the different values of color or light and dark in a painting or drawing.

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shading British  

/ ˈʃeɪdɪŋ /

noun

1. the graded areas of tone, lines, dots, etc, indicating light and dark in a painting or drawing

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Etymology

Origin of shading

First recorded in 1605–15; shade + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Those branches carry our eyes toward the dark masses of leaves, their green shading to black, and the brilliantly blue night sky, punctuated by numerous stars.

From The Wall Street Journal

She came outside, shading her eyes against the sun.

From Literature

Gray shading marked the contours of a cockpit window.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Rhodes — and Finney — employ the steel guitar inventively, not just to evoke notes of melancholy often found in country music, but to bring an orchestra’s worth of color, texture and shading to the arrangements.”

From Los Angeles Times

She’s shading her eyes to block the sun.

From Literature

Related Words

• complexion