shadow

(noun) shade within clear boundaries.

(noun) an unilluminated area. Synonyms: darkness, dark. Examples: "He moved off into the darkness."

(noun) something existing in perception only. Synonyms: apparition, phantom, phantasm, phantasma, fantasm. Examples: "A ghostly apparition at midnight."

(noun) a premonition of something adverse. Examples: "A shadow over his happiness."

(noun) an indication that something has been present. Synonyms: trace, vestige, tincture. Examples: "There wasn't a trace of evidence for the claim." "A tincture of condescension."

(noun) refuge from danger or observation. Examples: "He felt secure in his father's shadow."

(noun) a dominating and pervasive presence. Examples: "He received little recognition working in the shadow of his father."

(noun) a spy employed to follow someone and report their movements. Synonyms: tail, shadower.

(noun) an inseparable companion. Examples: "The poor child was his mother's shadow."

(verb) follow, usually without the person's knowledge. Examples: "The police are shadowing her."

(verb) cast a shadow over. Synonyms: shade, shade off.

(verb) make appear small by comparison. Synonyms: overshadow, dwarf. Examples: "This year's debt dwarfs that of last year."