PENUMBRA

PRONUNCIATION: (pi/puh-NUHM-bruh)

MEANING: noun:
1. A surrounding area or fringe, a zone of influence or activity that is less distinct or certain.
2. A partly shaded region between fully dark and fully lit.
3. The diffuse area around the dark central area of a sunspot.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin paene (almost) + umbra (shadow). Earliest documented use: 1665.
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OPENUMBRA - what you do in the ra (that's "the start of rain")

PENUM BARA - little-known cousin of silent movie star Theda

PENTUMBA - dance popular in Latin America in the 1960s after Dave Brubeck released "Take Five"