shed; shedding
1
: to rid oneself of temporarily or permanently as superfluous or unwanted
shed her inhibitions
the company shed 100 jobs
2
: to give off, discharge, or expel from the body of a plant or animal: such as
a
: to eject, slough off, or lose as part of the normal processes of life
a caterpillar shedding its skin
a cat shedding hair
a deciduous tree sheds its leaves in the fall
b
: to discharge usually gradually especially as part of a pathological process
shed a virus in the feces
3
a
: to pour forth in drops
shed tears
b
: to give off or out
sheds some light on the subject
c
: to cause (blood) to flow by cutting or wounding
4
: to cause to be dispersed without penetrating
duck's plumage sheds water
5
chiefly dialectal
: to set apart : segregate
1
: something (such as the skin of a snake) that is discarded in shedding
2
: a divide of land
3
obsolete
: distinction, difference
1
a
: a slight structure built for shelter or storage
especially
: a single-storied building with one or more sides unenclosed
b
: a building that resembles a shed
2
archaic
: hut
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share