SHED (shed, shedding)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: shed    , shedding   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does shed mean? 

• SHED (noun)
  The noun SHED has 1 sense:

1. an outbuilding with a single story; used for shelter or storage

  Familiarity information: SHED used as a noun is very rare.

• SHED (adjective)
  The adjective SHED has 1 sense:

1. shed at an early stage of development

  Familiarity information: SHED used as an adjective is very rare.

• SHED (verb)
  The verb SHED has 4 senses:

1. get rid of

2. pour out in drops or small quantities or as if in drops or small quantities

3. cause or allow (a solid substance) to flow or run out or over

4. cast off hair, skin, horn, or feathers

  Familiarity information: SHED used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SHED (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An outbuilding with a single story; used for shelter or storage

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("shed" is a kind of...):

outbuilding (a building that is subordinate to and separate from a main building)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "shed"):

apiary; bee house (a shed containing a number of beehives)

boathouse (a shed at the edge of a river or lake; used to store boats)

coal house (a shed for storing coal)

toolhouse; toolshed (a shed for storing tools)

woodshed (a shed for storing firewood or garden tools)

• SHED (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Shed at an early stage of development

Synonyms:

caducous; shed

Context example:

the caducous calyx of a poppy

Similar:

deciduous ((of teeth, antlers, etc.) being shed at the end of a period of growth)

Domain category:

biological science; biology (the science that studies living organisms)

• SHED (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they shed    ... he / she / it sheds   
Past simple: shed   
Past participle: shed   
-ing form: shedding   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Get rid of

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

cast; cast off; drop; shake off; shed; throw; throw away; throw off

Context example:

shed your clothes

Hypernyms (to "shed" is one way to...):

remove; take; take away; withdraw (remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "shed"):

exuviate; molt; moult; shed; slough (cast off hair, skin, horn, or feathers)

abscise (shed flowers and leaves and fruit following formation of a scar tissue)

exfoliate (cast off in scales, laminae, or splinters)

autotomise; autotomize (cause a body part to undergo autotomy)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Pour out in drops or small quantities or as if in drops or small quantities

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

pour forth; shed; spill

Context example:

God shed His grace on Thee

Hypernyms (to "shed" is one way to...):

pour (cause to run)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Cause or allow (a solid substance) to flow or run out or over

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

disgorge; shed; spill

Context example:

spill the beans all over the table

Hypernyms (to "shed" is one way to...):

displace; move (cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense)

Verb group:

slop; spill; splatter (cause or allow (a liquid substance) to run or flow from a container)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "shed"):

seed (go to seed; shed seeds)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 4

Meaning:

Cast off hair, skin, horn, or feathers

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

exuviate; molt; moult; shed; slough

Context example:

our dog sheds every Spring

Hypernyms (to "shed" is one way to...):

cast; cast off; drop; shake off; shed; throw; throw away; throw off (get rid of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "shed"):

desquamate; peel off (peel off in scales)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

shedding (the process whereby something is shed)

 Context examples 

Mr. Micawber pressed my hand, and groaned, and afterwards shed tears.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

It was a small shed in the narrow garden which ran behind the house.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Shedding of the outer layer of skin or mucosal tissue.

(Desquamation, NCI Thesaurus)

The name of my unfortunate and murdered friend was an agitation too great to be endured in my weak state; I shed tears.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

What does the law of England care for the rivers of blood shed years ago in San Pedro, or for the shipload of treasure which this man has stolen?

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“I have done the lawn and the bicycle shed,” said he.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Hypericin may also prevent the replication of encapsulated viruses probably due to inhibition of the assembly and shedding of virus particles in infected cells.

(Hypericin, NCI Thesaurus)

Half of them, I am sure, were anxious to see us shedding each other’s blood.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

There was a little shed in the yard, and behind this I drove one of the birds—a fine big one, white, with a barred tail.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

New research sheds light on how gut bacteria may influence anxiety-like behaviors.

(New Light on Link between Gut Bacteria, Anxiety, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)