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fade out

 - 6 dictionary results

fade

[feyd] verb, fad⋅ed, fad⋅ing, noun
–verb (used without object)
1. to lose brightness or vividness of color.
2. to become dim, as light, or lose brightness of illumination.
3. to lose freshness, vigor, strength, or health: The tulips have faded.
4. to disappear or die gradually (often fol. by away or out): His anger faded away.
5. Movies, Television.
a. to appear gradually, esp. by becoming lighter (usually fol. by in).
b. to disappear gradually, esp. by becoming darker (usually fol. by out).
6. Broadcasting, Recording.
a. to increase gradually in volume of sound, as in recording or broadcasting music, dialogue, etc. (usually fol. by in).
b. to decrease gradually in volume of sound (usually fol. by out).
7. Football. (of an offensive back, esp. a quarterback) to move back toward one's own goal line, usually with the intent to pass, after receiving the snapback from center or a hand-off or lateral pass behind the line of scrimmage (usually fol. by back): The quarterback was tackled while fading back for a pass.
8. (of an automotive brake) to undergo brake fade.
–verb (used with object)
9. to cause to fade: Sunshine faded the drapes.
10. (in dice throwing) to make a wager against (the caster).
11. Movies, Television.
a. to cause (a scene) to appear gradually (usually fol. by in).
b. to cause (a scene) to disappear gradually (usually fol. by out).
12. Broadcasting, Recording. to cause (the volume of sound) to increase or decrease gradually (usually fol. by in or out).
–noun
13. an act or instance of fading.
14. Movies, Television Informal. a fade-out.
15. Automotive. brake fade.

Origin:
1275–1325; 1915–20 for def. 5; ME faden, deriv. of fade pale, dull < AF, OF < VL *fatidus, for L fatuus fatuous


fad⋅a⋅ble, adjective
fad⋅ed⋅ly, adverb
fad⋅ed⋅ness, noun


4. See disappear.

fade-out

[feyd-out]
–noun
1. Movies, Television. a gradual decrease in the visibility of a scene.
2. Broadcasting, Recording. a gradual decrease in the volume of sound, esp. of recorded or broadcast music, dialogue, or the like, usually ending in complete inaudibility.
3. a gradual disappearance or reduction: the fade-out of a brilliant career.

Origin:
1915–20; n. use of v. phrase fade out
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To fade out
fade   (fād)   
v.   fad·ed, fad·ing, fades

v.   intr.
  1. To lose brightness, loudness, or brilliance gradually; dim: The lights and music faded as we set sail from the harbor.

  2. To lose freshness; wither: summer flowers that had faded.

  3. To lose strength or vitality; wane: youthful energy that had faded over the years.

  4. To disappear gradually; vanish: a hope that faded. See Synonyms at disappear.

  5. Sports To swerve from a straight course, especially in the direction of a slice.

  6. Football To move back from the line of scrimmage. Used of a quarterback.

v.   tr.
  1. To cause to lose brightness, freshness, or strength: Exposure to sunlight has faded the carpet.

  2. Sports To hit (a golf ball, for instance) with a moderate, usually controlled slice.

  3. Games To meet the bet of (an opposing player) in dice.

n.  
  1. A gradual diminution or increase in the brightness or visibility of an image in cinema or television.

  2. A periodic reduction in the received strength of a radio transmission.

  3. Sports A moderate, usually controlled slice, as in golf.

Phrasal Verb(s):
fade in
  1. To appear gradually.

  2. To cause to appear or be heard gradually. Used of a cinematic or television image or of a sound.

fade out
  1. To disappear gradually.

  2. To cause to disappear gradually. Used of a cinematic or television image or of a sound.


[Middle English faden, from Old French fader, from fade, faded, probably from Vulgar Latin *fatidus, alteration of Latin fatuus, insipid.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Slang Dictionary
fade

  1. in.
    to leave. : I think that the time has come for me to fade. See ya.
  2. in.
    [for someone] to lose power; [for someone] to lose influence. : Ralph is fading, and someone else will have to take over.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

fade 
c.1320, from O.Fr. fader, from fade "pale, weak, insipid," probably from V.L. *fatidus, some sort of blending of L. fatuus "silly, tasteless" + vapidus "flat, flavorless."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Idioms & Phrases

fade out

  1. Gradually disappear or become inaudible; also, cause to disappear or become inaudible gradually. For example, He let the final chord fade out completely before he played the next movement. The antonym is , "to appear gradually or become audible," as in The images on the screen faded in until they could be seen clearly. These terms originated in the motion-picture and broadcasting industries, where they apply to images and sounds. [c. 1915]

  2. Also, fade away. Quietly depart, as in "Florence Scape, Fanny Scape and their mother faded away to Boulogne" (William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair, 1848). [Mid-1800s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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