| 释义 |
pe·num·bra
I. \pə̇ˈnəmbrə\ noun
(plural penumbrae \-mˌbrē, -rī\ ; or penumbras)
Etymology: New Latin, from Latin pene- + umbra shadow — more at umbrage
1. : a shadow cast (as in an eclipse) where the light is partly but not wholly cut off by the intervening body : a space of partial illumination between the perfect shadow on all sides and the full light
2. : the shaded region surrounding the dark central portion of a sunspot
3.
a. : a surrounding or adjoining region in which something exists in a lesser degree : a marginal area : fringe
< the penumbra of consciousness >
< Thracian existed in a sort of cultural penumbra on the border line of the civilized world — Jaan Puhvel >
< the seventeenth century lay in the penumbra of the middle ages — Edward Eggleston >
< the few sure findings remain surrounded by a much larger penumbra of uncertainties — A.L.Kroeber >
b. : a surrounding atmosphere (as of obscurity, emotion, meaning) : aura, nimbus
< love … has been stripped of its mystical penumbra — J.W.Krutch >
< symbols carrying with them vital penumbras of meaning — M.R.Cohen >
c. : an area containing things of obscure classification : an uncertain middle ground between fields of thought or activity : borderland, no-man's-land
< orthodoxy and heterodoxy have too large a penumbra of doubt — New Republic >
4. : a part of a picture where shade gradually blends with light
• pe·num·bral \-rəl\ adjective
II. noun
: a body of rights held to be guaranteed by implication in a civil constitution
< the penumbras of the Bill of Rights > |