shadow

1 noun

1 DARKNESS (U) also shadows plural darkness caused by something preventing light from entering a place: in shadow: The room was half in shadow. | in the shadows: a thief lurking in the shadows

2 DARK SHAPE (C) a dark shape that someone or something makes on a surface when they are between that surface and the light: Look how long our shadows are! | in the shadow of (=under something, where its shadow will sometimes fall): We buried Mama in the shadow of the old elm.

3 cast a shadow over/on literary

a) to make a dark shape appear on a surface by being between that surface and the light: The house cast long shadows on the lawn.

b) to make something seem less attractive or impressive: After that, a shadow was cast over his reputation.

4 without/beyond a shadow of a doubt without any doubt at all: Without a shadow of a doubt he's the most talented player we've ever had.

5 be in sb's shadow to be less happy and successful than you could be because someone else gets noticed much more: Kate grew up in the shadow of her film star sister.

6 be a shadow of your former self to be so unhappy that you seem like a different person

7 shadows under sb's eyes small dark areas under someone's eyes that show they are tired

8 sb's shadow someone who follows someone else everywhere they go

—see also: afraid of your own shadow afraid (4), five o'clock shadow 2 verb (T)

1 to follow someone closely in order to watch what they are doing: Detectives shadowed them for weeks, collecting evidence.

2 (usually passive) literary to cover something with a shadow, or make it dark: a shadowed alley

3 adjective

1 shadow chancellor/foreign secretary etc the politician in the main opposition party in the British parliament who would become chancellor (1) etc if their party was in government, and who is responsible for speaking on the same subjects

2 shadow cabinet the group of politicians in the British parliament who would become ministers if their party was in government