noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/pəˈnʌm.bɹə/
pĭ-nŭm'brə
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:P IH0 N AH1 M B R AH0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A partially shaded area around the edges of a shadow, especially an eclipse.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A region around the edge of a sunspot, darker than the sun's surface but lighter than the middle of the sunspot.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: astronomy, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
An area of uncertainty or intermediacy between two mutually exclusive states or categories.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
An area that lies on the edge of something; a fringe.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
Something related to, connected to, and implied by, the existence of something else that is necessary for the second thing to be full and complete in its essential aspects.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
A region of the brain that has lost only some of its blood supply, and retains structural integrity but has lost function.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: preceded by "ischaemic"
Topics: medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
a fringe region of partial shadow around an umbra
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: shadow
History
Etymology
From New Latin pēnumbra, from Latin paene (“almost”) + umbra (“shadow”).
Across languages
Translations
48 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
halfskaduwee
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Afrikaans:
penumbra
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Arabic:
شِبْه ظِلّ
(šibh ẓill)
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Armenian:
կիսաստվեր
(kisastver)
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Azerbaijani:
ala-kölgə
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Basque:
ilunantz
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Belarusian:
паўце́нь
(pawcjénʹ)
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Bulgarian:
полуся́нка
(polusjánka)
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Catalan:
penombra
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Chinese Mandarin:
半影
(bànyǐng)
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Czech:
polostín
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Dutch:
halfschaduw
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Esperanto:
duonombro
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Finnish:
puolivarjo
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Finnish:
penumbra
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
French:
pénombre
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Galician:
penumbra
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Georgian:
პენუმბრა
(ṗenumbra)
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Georgian:
ნახევარჩრდილი
(naxevarčrdili)
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
German:
Halbschatten
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Greek:
παρασκιά
(paraskiá)
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Hebrew:
צל חלקי
(tsel khelkí)
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Hungarian:
félárnyék
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Ido:
miombro
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Italian:
penombra
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Japanese:
半影
(han'ei)
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Korean:
본그림자
(bon'geurimja)
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Korean:
본영
(bonyeong)
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Malay:
penumbra
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Nahuatl:
achicehualli
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Polish:
półcień
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Portuguese:
penumbra
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Romanian:
penumbră
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Russian:
полуте́нь
(poluténʹ)
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Slovak:
polotieň
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Spanish:
penumbra
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Swedish:
penumbra
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Swedish:
halvskugga
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Thai:
เงามัว
(ngao-muua)
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Ukrainian:
півті́нь
(pivtínʹ)
— partially shaded area around a shadow, especially an eclipse
Finnish:
penumbra
— region around a sunspot
French:
pénombre
— region around a sunspot
German:
Penumbra
— region around a sunspot
Norwegian Bokmål:
penumbra
— region around a sunspot
Norwegian Nynorsk:
penumbra
— region around a sunspot
