v. & n.
--v.
1. intr. & tr. lose or cause to lose colour.
2 intr. lose freshness or strength; (of flowers etc.) droop, wither.
3 intr. a (of colour, light, etc.) disappear gradually; grow pale or dim. b (of sound) grow faint.
4 intr. (of a feeling etc.) diminish.
5 intr. (foll. by away, out) (of a person etc.) disappear or depart gradually.
6 tr. (foll. by in, out) Cinematog. & Broadcasting a cause (a picture) to come gradually in or out of view on a screen, or to merge into another shot. b make (the sound) more or less audible.
7 intr. (of a radio signal) vary irregularly in intensity.
8 intr. (of a brake) temporarily lose effectiveness.
9 Golf a intr. (of a ball) deviate from a straight course, esp. in a deliberate slice. b tr. cause (a ball) to fade.
--n. the action or an instance of fading.
Phrases and idioms:
do a fade sl. depart. fade away colloq. languish, grow thin. fade-in Cinematog. & Broadcasting the action or an instance of fading in a picture or sound. fade-out
1. colloq. disappearance, death.
2 Cinematog. & Broadcasting the action or an instance of fading out a picture or sound.
Derivatives:
fadeless adj. fader n. (in sense 6 of v.).
Etymology: ME f. OF fader f. fade dull, insipid prob. ult. f. L fatuus silly + vapidus VAPID