Umbras

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A shadow cast by an object blocking light, often used to refer to the darkest part of a shadow during an eclipse
2. The representation of an absence or void, metaphorically indicating something hidden or unclear
3. In literary contexts, it often symbolizes the presence of an underlying darkness or the unknown lurking beyond perception

Etymology: "Umbras" is the plural of "umbra," a word that English borrowed directly from Latin, where "umbra" meant "shadow." The Latin noun reached English as a technical term, so its shadowy sense has stayed fairly close to the original. It is a doublet of "umber," meaning that the two words descend from the same Latin source but reached English by different routes: "umber," the earthy brown pigment, came through French, while "umbra" came straight from Latin. Astronomers use the plural "umbras" to describe the darkest central region of a shadow cast by an object blocking light, most often during an eclipse. In that setting, the region of full shadow is distinguished from the lighter outer shadow, which is called the penumbra. The pairing of the two terms preserves a clear division of the shadow into its darkest and partly lit parts.

Synonyms: shadows, shades, silhouettes, darknesses, twilights

Antonyms: lights, brightnesses, illuminations, highlights, glows