Jump To:

• shed
  shed

  noun

  a simple or rude structure built for shelter, storage, etc.
• she'd
  she'd

  contraction of she had.

shed

¹ American  

[shed] / ʃɛd /

noun

1. 

   a simple or rude structure built for shelter, storage, etc.

2. a large, strongly built structure, often open at the sides or end.

---

shed ² American  

[shed] / ʃɛd /

verb (used with object)

• sheds,
  present (3rd person singular)
• shed,
  past participle,  past
• shedding
  present participle

1. to emit and let fall, as tears.

   When someone arrived to rescue us, I shed tears of joy and gratitude.

2. to impart or release; give or send forth (light, sound, fragrance, influence, etc.).

   A full moon was shedding its light on the little town as they entered it.

   Synonyms:

   effuse, radiate, emit

3. to resist being penetrated or affected by.

   The jacket is treated with a durable water-repellent finish to shed light precipitation.

   Synonyms:

   repel

4. to cast off or let fall (leaves, hair, feathers, skin, shell, etc.) by natural process.

   A healthy, growing snake will shed its skin about once a month.

5. to get rid of or release oneself from.

   First, we must shed our illusions about what rural life is supposed to be like.

   I find that I go through phases where I shed some of my friendships.

6. to pour forth (water or other liquid), as a fountain or river.

   All of these rivers eventually shed their waters into the Luapula River.

7. Textiles. to separate (the warp) in forming a shed.

---

verb (used without object)

• sheds,
  present (3rd person singular)
• shed,
  past participle,  past
• shedding
  present participle

1. to cast off hair, feathers, skin, or other covering or parts by natural process.

   All dogs shed, and need some grooming to brush out loose hair.

   Synonyms:

   slough, molt

2. to fall off, as leaves.

   Leaves that are severely infected by this disease will shed prematurely.

3. to drop out, as hair, seed, grain, etc..

   My hair began shedding during the first month after I started taking the medication.

   The seeds of this plant shed soon after the pod opens, so they’re hard to find.

noun

1. Textiles. (on a loom) a triangular, transverse opening created between raised and lowered warp threads through which the shuttle passes in depositing the loose thread that will become the weft.

idioms

1. shed blood,

   1. to cause blood to flow.

   2. to kill by violence; slaughter.

she'd ³ American  

[sheed] / ʃid /

1. contraction of she had.

2. contraction of she would.

---

shed ¹ British  

/ ʃɛd /

verb

1. to pour forth or cause to pour forth

   to shed tears

   shed blood

2. to clarify or supply additional information about

3. to cast off or lose

   the snake shed its skin

   trees shed their leaves

4. (of a lorry) to drop (its load) on the road by accident

5. to abolish or get rid of (jobs, workers, etc)

6. to repel

   this coat sheds water

7. (also intr) (in weaving) to form an opening between (the warp threads) in order to permit the passage of the shuttle

8. dialect (tr) to make a parting in (the hair)

---

noun

1. (in weaving) the space made by shedding

2. short for watershed

3. a parting in the hair

shed ² British  

/ ʃɛd /

noun

1. a small building or lean-to of light construction, used for storage, shelter, etc

2. a large roofed structure, esp one with open sides, used for storage, repairing locomotives, sheepshearing, etc

3. a large retail outlet in the style of a warehouse

4. another name for freezing works

5. at work

---

verb

1. (tr) to store (hay or wool) in a shed

shed ³ British  

/ ʃɛd /

verb

1. (tr) to separate or divide off (some farm animals) from the remainder of a group

   a good dog can shed his sheep in a matter of minutes

---

noun

1. (of a dog) the action of separating farm animals

shed ⁴ British  

/ ʃɛd /

noun

1. physics a former unit of nuclear cross section equal to 10 ^–52 square metre

---

she'd ⁵ British  

/ ʃiːd /

contraction

1. she had or she would

---

Usage

See contraction.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• shedding
  noun
• nonshedding
  adjective
• shedable
  adjective
• sheddable
  adjective
• shedlike
  adjective
• unshedding
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• shedding
  present
• shed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• shed
  simple
• sheds
  simple
• have shed
  perfect
• has shed
  perfect
• am shedding
  progressive
• are shedding
  progressive
• is shedding
  progressive
• have been shedding
  perfect progressive
• has been shedding
  perfect progressive

Past

• shed
  simple
• had shed
  perfect
• was shedding
  progressive
• were shedding
  progressive
• had been shedding
  perfect progressive

Future

• will shed
  simple
• will have shed
  perfect
• will be shedding
  progressive
• will have been shedding
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of shed¹

First recorded in 1475–85; variant of shade

Origin of shed²

First recorded before 950; Middle English verb shed(d)en, shed, Old English scēadan, scādan; cognate with German scheiden “to separate, divide”

Explanation

The small, simple building in your yard where you keep tools or gardening equipment is a shed. As a noun, shed means "hut," and probably comes from the word shade. But shed is also a verb meaning "to cast off," like when a snake sheds its skin. If your couch is covered in fur, it might be because your dog is shedding. You can shed non-physical things, like a bad habit. Does your cat shed? If so, maybe I should sleep in the shed since I'm allergic.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shed she'd sheds shedding

This winter's Test series in South Africa may shed some more light.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

Seoul shed more than two percent as it reopened after a long break, while Tokyo, Shanghai, Manila, Bangkok and Jakarta also dropped.

From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026

Her floral, flowing clothes and romantic aesthetic are not things she feels compelled to shed in order to be taken seriously as a chef.

From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026

It could also shed light on what happens when different brain regions fail to arrive at the same conclusion.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 24, 2026

A run-down shed, a path with broken paving stones, a tiny square of muddy grass, trees along the edge.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

Saturday before they went to sleep, Brandon announced to Summer this was the last time she’d see him in his usual cycling jersey—that the next day, he’d be wearing the world champion’s rainbows.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

People who just about everyone else had given up on — she’d give them a place to stay and work to do.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

Johna backed out of the chat, realizing that she’d only just escaped being scammed.

From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026

But I also know that if I told her honestly that I didn’t want to spend so much time together, she’d be hurt.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026

“She said she’d let me tell you,” I reply.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

"We ask local residents to please check their outbuildings, gardens and sheds, and report any sightings to police on 999," Supt Pete Partridge said.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

They also prohibit wooden sheds in the zone and wooden fences where attached to the house.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

Among the worst performers on Japan’s benchmark index, Screen Holdings drops 2.9%, Lasertec falls 2.8%, and Nippon Building Fund sheds 2.4%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

Takaichi has also accelerated a beefing up of Japan's military capabilities as its sheds its strict pacifist stance in place since the war.

From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026

Still, the Edifice was magnificent in comparison to the ordinary sheds and cottages of the village.

From "Gathering Blue" by Lois Lowry

On Monday, China released more information of what was agreed at the talks between Xi Jinping and Donald Tump last week, shedding light on a handful of concrete outcomes.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

But these modern Bears are shedding their heritage.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

Until now, researchers have generally attributed much of that shedding to rapid weight loss, since these medications lower blood sugar and reduce appetite.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026

The stock was shedding 13% in recent morning trading toward a three-month low and was on track for its biggest one-day selloff since it sank 22.6% on April 3, 2025.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026

The dogs were shedding their winter coats, whining and restless to be off the ship again, and growing hungrier every day.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong

Related Words

• discard
• drop
• jettison
• scrap
• take off
• yield