parasol
Americannoun
-
parasols
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of parasol
1610–20; < French, Middle French < Italian parasole. See para- 2, Sol
Explanation
A parasol is a little umbrella that protects you from the sun. If you are trying to imitate a fancy Victorian lady, get yourself a parasol. An umbrella is a collapsible shade that people use to keep from getting wet in the rain or burned in the sun. A similar device is a parasol. Parasols are smaller than umbrellas, so they're not as useful in the rain. However, many people, especially on the beach, use parasols to keep the sun from beating down on them. If you don't want a sunburn, a parasol is handy.
Vocabulary lists containing parasol
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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"Balboa," Vocabulary from the short story
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English Words Derived from French, List 4
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Meaning he won’t spend the time between now and Nov. 3 at some swank beach resort, sipping one of those colorful cocktails with a little paper parasol while musing over his inaugural address.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026
Beneath its parasol of trees, the memorial remains the most tranquil of civic sites, welcoming visitors to pause on granite benches slightly elevated above a mosaic tiled floor meant to evoke a classical temple.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
On those sheets, striped with a repeating pattern of Miss Piggy striking different poses underneath a parasol, Miss Piggy models confidence.
From Salon ● Feb. 28, 2026
Outside, Huang Jing smiled as she watched her nine-year-old daughter pose for photos with a parasol on a small wooden bridge in the middle of a misty garden.
From Barron's ● Nov. 14, 2025
Penelope felt sorry for the frustrated gardener, who had a great deal of work to do and no parasol to shield him from the sun, either.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
More soldiers stood guard on the small beach next to the border fence, positioned under parasols in the morning.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
They also said additional gazebos and parasols had been installed.
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2025
You can use a sporty sunsail, a patio umbrella or have some fun with decorative parasols.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 21, 2023
It’s why taqueros cook under pop-up canopies and the fruteros have their rainbow parasols.
From Slate ● May 22, 2023
It’s concrete all around the pool, but people have set up deck chairs and sun loungers, and they’ve got large parasols to keep them in the shade.
From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
