shed¹ (shĕd)

v., shed, shed·ding, sheds.

v.tr.

1. To cause to pour forth: shed tears.
2. To diffuse or radiate; send forth or impart: shed light.
3. To repel without allowing penetration: A duck's feathers shed water.
4. 1. To lose by natural process: a snake shedding its skin.
   2. To rid oneself of (something not wanted or needed): I shed 25 pounds as a result of my new diet.

v.intr.

1. To lose a natural growth or covering by natural process.
2. To pour forth, fall off, or drop out: All the leaves have shed.

n.

1. Something that sheds, especially an elevation in the earth's surface from which water flows in two directions; a watershed.
2. Something that has been shed.

idiom:

shed blood

1. To take life, especially with violence; kill.

[Middle English sheden, to separate, shed, from Old English scēadan, to divide.]

shed² (shĕd)
n.

1. A small structure, either freestanding or attached to a larger structure, serving for storage or shelter.
2. A large low structure often open on all sides.

[Alteration of Middle English shadde, perhaps variant of shade, shade. See shade.]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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