different between shadow vs phantom

English

Etymology

From Middle English schadowe, schadewe, schadwe (also schade > shade), from Old English s?eaduwe, s?eadwe, oblique form of s?eadu (“shadow, shade; darkness; protection”), from Proto-West Germanic *skadu, from Proto-Germanic *skadwaz (“shade, shadow”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)?eh?- (“darkness”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) enPR: sh?d??, IPA^(key): /??ædo?/
• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: sh?d??, IPA^(key): /??æd??/
• Rhymes: -æd??
• Hyphenation: shad?ow

Noun

shadow (countable and uncountable, plural shadows)

1. A dark image projected onto a surface where light (or other radiation) is blocked by the shade of an object.

2. Relative darkness, especially as caused by the interruption of light; gloom, obscurity.
   • 1656, John Denham, The Destruction of Troy
3. A area protected by an obstacle (likened to an object blocking out sunlight).

4. (obsolete) A reflected image, as in a mirror or in water.
5. That which looms as though a shadow.

6. A small degree; a shade.
7. An imperfect and faint representation.
8. (Britain, law enforcement) A trainee, assigned to work with an experienced officer.
9. One who secretly or furtively follows another.
10. An inseparable companion.
11. (typography) A drop shadow effect applied to lettering in word processors etc.
12. An influence, especially a pervasive or a negative one.
13. A spirit; a ghost; a shade.
14. (obsolete, Latinism) An uninvited guest accompanying one who was invited.

    Synonym: umbra

    (Can we find and add a quotation of Nares to this entry?)

15. (psychology) In Jungian psychology, an unconscious aspect of the personality.

Usage notes

• A person (or object) is said to "cast", "have", or "throw" a shadow if that shadow is caused by the person (either literally, by eclipsing a light source, or figuratively). The shadow may then be described as the shadow "cast" or "thrown" by the person, or as the shadow "of" the person, or simply as the person's shadow.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

shadow (third-person singular simple present shadows, present participle shadowing, simple past and past participle shadowed)

1. (transitive) To shade, cloud, or darken.

   The artist chose to shadow this corner of the painting.

2. (transitive) To block light or radio transmission from.

   Looks like that cloud's going to shadow us.

3. (espionage) To secretly or discreetly track or follow another, to keep under surveillance.
4. (transitive) To represent faintly and imperfectly.
5. (transitive) To hide; to conceal.
6. (transitive) To accompany (a professional) during the working day, so as to learn about an occupation one intends to take up.
7. (transitive, programming) To make (an identifier, usually a variable) inaccessible by declaring another of the same name within the scope of the first.
8. (transitive, computing) To apply the shadowing process to (the contents of ROM).

Derived terms

• beshadow
• foreshadow
• overshadow
• unshadow

Translations

Adjective

shadow (comparative more shadow, superlative most shadow)

1. Unofficial, informal, unauthorized, but acting as though it were.

   The human resources department has a shadow information technology group without headquarters knowledge.

2. Having power or influence, but not widely known or recognized.

   The director has been giving shadow leadership to the other group's project to ensure its success.

   The illuminati shadow group has been pulling strings from behind the scenes.

3. (politics) Acting in a leadership role before being formally recognized.

   The shadow cabinet cannot agree on the terms of the agreement due immediately after they are sworn in.

   The insurgents’ shadow government is being crippled by the federal military strikes.

4. (Australia, politics) Part of, or related to, the opposition in government.

Derived terms

• shadow government
• shadow price

English

Alternative forms

• fantom (archaic)

Etymology

From Middle English fantom, fantum, from Old French fantosme, fantasme, from Latin phantasma (“an apparition, specter; (in Late Latin also) appearance, image”), from Ancient Greek ???????? (phántasma, “phantasm, an appearance, image, apparition, specter”), from ??????? (phantáz?, “I make visible”). Doublet of phantasm.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?fænt?m/

Noun

phantom (plural phantoms)

1. A ghost or apparition.
2. Something apparently seen, heard, or sensed, but having no physical reality; an image that appears only in the mind; an illusion or delusion.
3. (bridge) A placeholder for a pair of players when there are an odd number of pairs playing.
4. (medical imaging) A test object. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

Synonyms

• ghost
• See also Thesaurus:ghost

Derived terms

• phantom limb
• phantom pain

Related terms

• fantasy

Translations

Adjective

phantom (not comparable)

1. Illusive.
2. Fictitious or nonexistent.

Translations

Further reading

• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “phantom”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

Anagrams

• Hampton