- 1shed something (often used in newspapers) to get rid of something that is no longer wanted The factory is shedding a large number of jobs. a quick way to shed unwanted pounds (= extra weight or fat on your body) Museums have been trying hard to shed their stuffy image. drop
- 2shed something (formal) to let something fall; to drop something Luke shed his clothes onto the floor. A duck's feathers shed water immediately.
- 3shed something if an animal sheds its skin, or a plant sheds leaves, it loses them naturally How often does a snake shed its skin? trees that shed their leaves in autumn light
- 4shed something (on/over somebody/something) to send light over something; to let light fall somewhere The candles shed a soft glow on her face. tears
- 5shed tears (formal or literary) to cry She shed no tears when she heard he was dead. blood
- 6shed blood (formal) to kill or injure people, especially in a war How much blood will be shed before the fighting ends? see bloodshed Idioms
shed
verbNAmE//ʃɛd//
Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they shed he / she / it sheds
past simple shed
-ing form shedding
to make a problem, etc. easier to understand Recent research has thrown new light on the causes of the disease.
Check pronunciation: shed