fade
verb
- diminish, become less visible
- (cause to) become dim
noun
- gradual change in the intensity of stage lights
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /feɪd/ / /fæɪd/
adj
Etymology: From Middle English fade, fede, of uncertain origin. Compare Old English ġefæd (“orderly, tidy, discreet, well-regulated”). See also fad.
- Strong; bold; doughty.
noun
Etymology: From Middle English fade, vad, vade (“faded, pale, withered, weak”), from Middle Dutch vade (“weak, faint, limp”), from Old French fade (“weak, witless”), of obscure origin. Probably from Vulgar Latin *fatidus, from Latin fatuus (“insipid”).
- A golf shot that curves intentionally to the player's right (if they are right-handed) or to the left (if left-handed).
“If you confine yourself to hitting straight shots while you are developing your golf swing, you are less likely to develop a preference for hitting a fade or a draw.”
- A haircut where the hair is short or shaved on the sides of the head and longer on top. See also high-top fade and low fade.
- A fight.
- A gradual decrease in the brightness of a shot or the volume of sound or music (as a means of cutting to a new scene or starting a new song).
- The act of disappearing from a place so as not to be found; covert departure.
“Ace could have done a fade. Instead, he gathered all his courage — which was not inconsiderable, even in his middle age — and went to see the Flying Corson Brothers.”
verb
Etymology: From Middle English fade, vad, vade (“faded, pale, withered, weak”), from Middle Dutch vade (“weak, faint, limp”), from Old French fade (“weak, witless”), of obscure origin. Probably from Vulgar Latin *fatidus, from Latin fatuus (“insipid”).
- To hit the ball with the shot called a fade.
“The Golden Bear faded the ball from left to right with great consistency, so he seldom had to worry about trouble on the left.”
- To grow weak; to lose strength; to decay; to perish gradually; to wither, as a plant.
“The earth mourneth and fadeth away.”
- To lose freshness, color, or brightness; to become faint in hue or tint; hence, to be wanting in color.
“[flowers] that never fade”
“The half-dozen pieces […] were painted white and carved with festoons of flowers, birds and cupids. To display them the walls had been tinted a vivid blue which had now faded, but the carpet, which had evidently been stored and recently relaid, retained its original turquoise.”
- To sink away; to disappear gradually; to grow dim; to vanish.
“The milkman's whistling faded into the distance.”
“He makes a swanlike end, / Fading in music.”
- To cause to fade.
- To bet against (someone).
“I tried to get some bets that y'all were fixin' to get married but nobody would fade me.”