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penumbral

/pi-nuhm-bruhl/US // pɪˈnʌm brəl //

半月形,半月形的,半月板,半月型

Definitions

adj.形容词 adjective
  1. 1
    • : Astronomy. of, causing, or being the partial shadow outside the complete shadow of an opaque body, such as a planet, where the light from the source of illumination is only partly cut off:Four consecutive total lunar eclipses in a row, without any penumbral eclipses in between, are known as a tetrad.Compare umbral 2a. relating to or being the grayish marginal portion of a sunspot:An average eye can see a sunspot with a penumbral diameter of at least 41 arcseconds.Compare umbral 2b.
    • : relating to or being a shadowy, indefinite, or marginal area:The apple trees provide penumbral lighting that is perfect for studying, thinking, or even a nap.While the beneficiaries of corruption fête themselves with cocktail nights and caviar dreams, its victims wander a penumbral existence.
    • : U.S. Law. of or relating to the set of rights implicit in the U.S. Constitution or Bill of Rights:The wealthy, like everyone else, are entitled to the full enjoyment of the Constitution's express and penumbral guarantees.

Examples

  • The penumbral line is marked from hour to hour on the maps given annually in the American Ephemeris.

  • I think the intellect, when focussed so as to give definition without penumbral haze, is sure to realise this image at the last.

  • Strange, penumbral, characters roam the boardrooms of banks in the countries in transition.

  • Isabel snuck into the guest bedroom and settled into an overstuffed armchair at a penumbral corner.

  • It may be that all the elements of the penumbral cone intersect the earth.