This week’s theme
Eclipse

This week’s words
umbra
occultation
penumbra
umbrageous
totality

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A.Word.A.Day

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.

USAGE:

“If the mainstream debate is robust, its penumbra is toxic.”
Arguing Over Iran; The Economist (London, UK); Sep 5, 2015.

See more usage examples of penumbra in Vocabulary.com’s dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: