shading

noun

shad·​ing ˈshā-diŋ How to pronounce shading (audio)
1
: the use of marking made within outlines to suggest three-dimensionality, shadow, or degrees of light and dark in a picture or drawing
2
: an interpretative effect in music gained especially by subtle changes in dynamics

Examples of shading in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The map is in black and white, with pools of orange and blue shading representing the various warehouses, office buildings and housing developments that one of Perot’s companies, Hillwood, has splayed across the region since the late 1980s. Conor Dougherty, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025 The higher-speed chip also unlocks some additional graphics capabilities like ray tracing, mesh shading, and dynamic caching for graphics-intensive tasks. Brenda Stolyar, WIRED, 5 Mar. 2025 Hackman often drew on these painful memories when roles required a darker shading. Tom Gliatto, People.com, 4 Mar. 2025 Oesterheld’s ingenuity and Solano López’s deceptively simple, darkly expressive drawing and shading produce a science-fiction horror tale of rare distinctiveness. Mike Hale, New York Times, 1 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for shading

Word History

First Known Use

1663, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shading was in 1663

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Cite this Entry

“Shading.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shading. Accessed 22 Jun. 2025.

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