| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
| associate | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | (tr) to link or connect in the mind or imagination: to associate Christmas with fun |
| 2. | (intr) to keep company; mix socially: to associate with writers |
| 3. | (intr) to form or join an association, group, etc |
| 4. | (tr; usually passive) to consider in conjunction; connect: rainfall is associated with humidity |
| 5. | (tr) to bring (a person, esp oneself) into friendship, partnership, etc |
| 6. | (tr; often passive) to express agreement or allow oneself to be connected (with): Bertrand Russell was associated with the peace movement |
| —n | |
| 7. | a person joined with another or others in an enterprise, business, etc; partner; colleague |
| 8. | a companion or friend |
| 9. | something that usually accompanies another thing; concomitant: hope is an associate to happiness |
| 10. | a person having a subordinate position in or admitted to only partial membership of an institution, association, etc |
| —adj | |
| 11. | joined with another or others in an enterprise, business, etc; having equal or nearly equal status: an associate director |
| 12. | having partial rights and privileges or subordinate status: an associate member |
| 13. | accompanying; concomitant |
| [C14: from Latin associāre to ally with, from sociāre to join, from socius an ally] | |
| as'sociable | |
| —adj | |
| as'sociator | |
| —n | |
| as'sociatory | |
| —adj | |
| as'sociateship | |
| —n | |