Adumbrate
/əˈdʌm.breɪt/noun
To give a sketchy or incomplete representation of something; to foreshadow or hint at.
Did you know?Adumbrate comes from Latin adumbrāre, a verb built from umbra, “shadow,” the same root behind words tied to darkness and shade in ancient Indo-European speech.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₁egʷʰ- / *h₂em-
“A proposed ancient root behind words for shadow or darkness (reconstructed with some uncertainty).”
Latin
Latin
umbra
“Shadow, shade, or a darkened outline.”
Latin
Latin
adumbrāre
“To shadow forth, outline, sketch, or cast a shade over.”
Late Latin
Latin
adumbrātus
“Outlined, sketched, or dimly represented.”
16th Century
English
adumbrate
“To shadow forth or represent imperfectly; to foreshadow.”
Modern English
English
adumbrate
“To suggest or outline something in a vague, sketchy way.”