The difference between Night and Shadow

When used as nouns, night means the period between sunset and sunrise, when a location faces far away from the sun, thus when the sky is dark, whereas shadow means a dark image projected onto a surface where light (or other radiation) is blocked by the shade of an object.

When used as verbs, night means to spend a night (in a place), to overnight, whereas shadow means to shade, cloud or darken.


Shadow is also adjective with the meaning: unofficial, informal, unauthorized, but acting as though it were.

check bellow for the other definitions of Night and Shadow

  1. Night as a noun (countable):

    The period between sunset and sunrise, when a location faces far away from the sun, thus when the sky is dark.

    Examples:

    "How do you sleep at night when you attack your kids like that!?"

  2. Night as a noun (countable):

    An evening or night spent at a particular activity.

    Examples:

    "a night on the town"

  3. Night as a noun (countable):

    A night (and part of the days before and after it) spent in a hotel or other accommodation.

    Examples:

    "We stayed at the Hilton for five nights."

  4. Night as a noun (uncountable):

    Nightfall.

    Examples:

    "from noon till night'"

  5. Night as a noun (uncountable):

    Darkness.

    Examples:

    "The cat disappeared into the night."

  6. Night as a noun (uncountable):

    A dark blue colour, midnight blue.

    Examples:

    "color pane002266"

  7. Night as a noun (sports, colloquial):

    A night's worth of competitions, generally one game.

  1. Night as a verb:

    To spend a night (in a place), to overnight.

  1. Shadow as a noun:

    A dark image projected onto a surface where light (or other radiation) is blocked by the shade of an object.

    Examples:

    "My shadow lengthened as the sun began to set."

    "The X-ray showed a shadow on his lung."

  2. Shadow as a noun:

    Relative darkness, especially as caused by the interruption of light; gloom, obscurity.

    Examples:

    "I immediately jumped into shadow as I saw them approach."

  3. Shadow as a noun:

    A area protected by an obstacle (likened to an object blocking out sunlight).

    Examples:

    "The mountains block the passage of rain-producing weather systems and cast a "shadow" of dryness behind them."

  4. Shadow as a noun (obsolete):

    A reflected image, as in a mirror or in water.

    Examples:

    "rfquotek Shakespeare"

  5. Shadow as a noun:

    That which looms as though a shadow.

    Examples:

    "I don't have a shadow of doubt in my mind that my plan will succeed. The shadow of fear of my being outed always affects how I live my life. I lived in her shadow my whole life."

  6. Shadow as a noun:

    A small degree; a shade.

    Examples:

    "He did not give even a shadow of respect to the professor."

  7. Shadow as a noun:

    An imperfect and faint representation.

    Examples:

    "He came back from war the shadow of a man."

    "the neopagan ritual was only a pale shadow of the ones the Greeks held thousands of years ago"

  8. Shadow as a noun (UK, police):

    A trainee, assigned to work with an experienced officer.

  9. Shadow as a noun:

    One who secretly or furtively follows another.

    Examples:

    "The constable was promoted to working as a shadow for the Royals."

  10. Shadow as a noun (typography):

    A drop shadow effect applied to lettering in word processors etc.

  11. Shadow as a noun:

    An influence, especially a pervasive or a negative one.

  12. Shadow as a noun:

    A spirit; a ghost; a shade.

  13. Shadow as a noun (obsolete, [[Latinism]]):

    An uninvited guest accompanying one who was invited.

    Examples:

    "synonyms umbra"

    "rfquotek Nares"

  14. Shadow as a noun (psychology):

    In Jungian psychology, an unconscious aspect of the personality.

  1. Shadow as a verb (transitive):

    To shade, cloud or darken.

    Examples:

    "The artist chose to shadow this corner of the painting."

  2. Shadow as a verb (transitive):

    To block light or radio transmission from.

    Examples:

    "Looks like that cloud's going to shadow us."

  3. Shadow as a verb (espionage):

    To secretly or discreetly track or follow another, to keep under surveillance.

  4. Shadow as a verb:

    To accompany a professional during the working day, so as to learn about an occupation one intends to take up.

  5. Shadow as a verb (programming):

    To make an identifier, usually a variable, inaccessible by declaring another of the same name within the scope of the first.

  6. Shadow as a verb (computing):

    To apply the shadowing process to (the contents of ROM).

  1. Shadow as an adjective:

    Unofficial, informal, unauthorized, but acting as though it were.

    Examples:

    "The human resources department has a shadow information technology group without headquarters knowledge."

  2. Shadow as an adjective:

    Having power or influence, but not widely known or recognized.

    Examples:

    "The director has been giving shadow leadership to the other group's project to ensure its success."

    "The illuminati shadow group has been pulling strings from behind the scenes."

  3. Shadow as an adjective (politics):

    Acting in a leadership role before being formally recognized.

    Examples:

    "The shadow cabinet cannot agree on the terms of the agreement due immediately after they are sworn in."

    "The insurgents’ shadow government is being crippled by the federal military strikes."

  4. Shadow as an adjective (AU, politics):

    Part of, or related to, the opposition in government.