n.
Pronunciation: ' shed
Function: verb
Inflected Form: shed ; shed · ding
Etymology: Middle English, to divide, separate, from Old English sc ē adan; akin to Old High German skeidan to separate, Latin scindere to split, cleave, Greek schizein to split
Date: before 12th century
transitive verb
1 chiefly dialect : to set apart : SEGREGATE
2 : to cause to be dispersed without penetrating <duck's plumage shed s water>
3 a : to cause (blood) to flow by cutting or wounding b : to pour forth in drops < shed tears> c : to give off or out < shed s some light on the subject>
4 : to give off, discharge, or expel from the body of a plant or animal: 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 shed s its leaves in the fall> b : to discharge usually gradually especially as part of a pathological process < shed a virus in the feces>
5 : to rid oneself of temporarily or permanently as superfluous or unwanted < shed her inhibitions> <the company shed 100 jobs>
intransitive verb
1 : to pour out : SPILL
2 : to become dispersed : SCATTER
3 : to cast off some natural covering (as fur or skin) <the cat is shedding >
synonyms see DISCARD
– shed blood : to cause death by violence