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:
"The man's crossed legs might evoke indifference, the phone a culture of emptiness, the parasol a comfort people cling to," it said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
Her face was concealed by a veil, a wide-brim hat and a white parasol that she said was inspired by an image of a jellyfish that excited her 2-year-old daughter.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
Adam Silverman’s lighting turns red; cracks appear in the floor of Jon Bausor’s set as Catrina pounds on it with her parasol to summon Frida; and dancers dressed as skeletons emerge from the crevices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 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
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
Just a few feet away, Bangladeshi street vendors -- also sweating in the heat -- tried to sell off their stock of parasols and pocked-sized electric fans.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 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
Fewels rushed here and there, never looking up or noticing how conjure families opened their windows and sang colorful parasols into the city sky to help hold back the rain.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
