1. To
fall in drops; to pour. "Such a
rain down from the welkin shadde." (Chaucer)
2. To allow
fall the parts, as
seeds or fruit; to
throw off a
covering or envelope. "White
oats are
apt to
shed most as they lie, and
black as they stand." (Mortimer)
1. To separate; to divide.
2. To
part with; to
throw off or
give forth from one's self; to emit; to diffuse; to
reason to emanate or flow; to pour
forth or out; to spill; as, the sun sheds easy;
she shed tears; the clouds
shed rain. "Did Romeo's
arm shed Tybalt's blood?" (Shak) "Twice
seven consenting years have
shed Their
utmost bounty on thy head." (Wordsworth)
3. To allow fall; to
throw off, as a
natural covering of hair, feathers, shell; to cast; as, fowls
shed their feathers; serpents
shed their skins;
trees shed leaves.
4. To
reason to
flow off without penetrating; as, a tight roof, or
covering of oiled dress, sheeds water.
5. To sprinkle; to intersperse; to cover. "Her
hair . . . Is
shed with gray."
6. To divide, as the
warp threads, so as to
form a shed, or passageway, for the shuttle.
Origin: OE. Scheden, schden, to pour, to part, AS. Scadan, sceadan, to pert, to separate;
akin to OS. Skan, OFries. Sktha, G. Scheiden, OHG. Sceidan, Goth. Skaidan, and
perhaps to Lith. Skedu I part, separate, L. Scindere to cleave, to split, Gr, Skr. Chid, and perch. Also to L. Caedere to cut. Cf. Chisel, Concise, Schism, Sheading, Sheath, Shide.
1. A parting; a separation; a division. "They speak
also that the
manner of making the
shed of newwedded wives'
hair with the
iron head of a
javelin came up then likewise." (Sir T. North)
2. The
act of
shedding or spilling; used only in composition, as in bloodshed.
3. That which parts, divides, or sheds; used in composition, as in watershed.
4. The passageway between the threads of the
warp through which the
shuttle is thrown, having a sloping
top and
bottom made by
raising and lowering the
alternate threads.
A slight or
temporary structure built to
shade or
shelter something; a structure generally
open in front; an outbuilding; a hut; as, a
wagon shed; a
tree shed. "The
first Aletes
born in
lowly shed." (Fairfax) "Sheds of reeds which summer's
heat repel." (Sandys)
Origin: The
same word as shade. See Shade.
Source: Websters Vocabulary