Parasols

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A portable sun-shielding device typically fashioned like an umbrella
2. A light, handheld canopy designed to shield a person from direct sunlight
3. A collapsible, often decorative cover carried to provide shade from the sun

Etymology: "Parasols" is simply the plural of "parasol," so the history belongs to the singular. The name is literally a compound of two Italian words: "parare," meaning to ward off or shield, and "sole," meaning sun. A parasol is, in effect, something that shields you from the sun, and the name describes its job rather than its shape. The word reached English from French "parasol," which had itself been borrowed from Italian "parasole." Italian is the origin of the compound, while French passed it on, so English took it as a finished term for a light sunshade, not as a construction built in English from separate pieces.

Synonyms: umbrellas, canopies, shade, shelters, awnings