penumbra
semi-darkness
The state of being between light and dark
Encoding Strategies:
linguistic
pen-
almost
+
umbra
shadow
Penumbra means semi-darkness or something that is almost0 in shadow1. You might recognize pen-0 in English words like "penultimate."
penumbra
semi-darkness, dim light
To be in partial shadow or dim light, or the area between full light and complete darkness.
- La habitación estaba en penumbra cuando entré = The room was in semi-darkness when I entered
- Al atardecer, el parque se llena de penumbra = At dusk, the park fills with dim light
gray area (figurative)
When a situation falls between light and dark, it's morally unclear and lives in a gray area.
- Su comportamiento vive en la penumbra entre lo correcto e incorrecto = His behavior lives in a gray area between right and wrong
- Las leyes a veces dejan muchas situaciones en la penumbra = Laws sometimes leave many situations in a gray area