different between shadow vs wraith

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

Etymology

First attested 1513, in a Middle Scots translation of the Aeneid.

The word has no certain etymology. J. R. R. Tolkien favored a link with writhe. Also compared are Scots warth and Old Norse v?rðr (“watcher, guardian”), whence Icelandic vörður (“guard”). See also wray/bewray, from Middle English wreien. Perhaps from wrath as a wraith is a vengeful spirit.

Pronunciation

• enPR: r?th, IPA^(key): /?e??/
• Rhymes: -e??

Noun

wraith (plural wraiths)

1. A ghost or specter, especially a person's likeness seen just after their death.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:ghost
2. (slang, African-American Vernacular, MLE) A showy motor vehicle, a ”whip”.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:automobile

Derived terms

• wraithish
• wraithful
• wraithlike

Translations

Further reading

• wraith on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• wraith in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

References