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:
Texan retiree Ken Haddad, in Rome with his teenage daughter, was trying to cope without a hat or a parasol.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
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
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
Her spring trip goes heavy on wild greens, with a good dose of truffle hunting, while the fall is a bonanza of shaggy parasol mushrooms and mountain villages.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2025
She should fold up the parasol, use it for a cane.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
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
It’s hot - I’ve spotted at least two parasols and lots of fans.
From BBC ● May 12, 2024
Thousands of colorful parasols fluttered in the sea breeze, and people dipped into the waves.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 22, 2024
Now, a team of scientists says that it could launch a prototype of one of the giant parasols into space in just a few years.
From New York Times ● Feb. 6, 2024
Security bots glide around the floor, looking like ladies with mechanical jaws and long-nosed masks and black parasols.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
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.
