countershading

coun·ter·shad·ing

C c

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [koun-ter-shey-ding]
- /ˈkaʊn tərˌʃeɪ dɪŋ/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [koun-ter-shey-ding]
- /ˈkaʊn tərˌʃeɪ dɪŋ/

Definitions of countershading word

noun countershading (in the coloration of certain animals) a pattern, serving as camouflage, in which dark colours occur on parts of the body exposed to the light and pale colours on parts in the shade 3
noun countershading the development of dark colors on parts usually exposed to the sun and of light colors on parts usually shaded, especially as serving for protection or concealment. 1
noun countershading Protective coloration of some animals in which parts normally in shadow are light and those exposed to the sky are dark. 1
noun countershading A pattern of animal colouration, existing as a form of camouflage, characterised by darker pigmentation of the upper side and lighter of the underside. 0

See all 4 definitions of countershading

Information block about the term

Origin of countershading

First appearance:

before 1895

One of the 18% newest English words

First recorded in 1895-1900; counter- + shading

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Countershading

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Countershading

countershading popularity

A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 36% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.

According to our data about 64% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.

countershading usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Matching words

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