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Depth vs Shallow - What's the difference?

depth | shallow |

As nouns the difference between depth and shallow

is that depth is the vertical distance below a surface; the degree to which something is deep while shallow is a shallow portion of an otherwise deep body of water.

As an adjective shallow is

having little depth; significantly less deep than wide.

As a verb shallow is

to make or become less deep.

depth

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • The vertical distance below a surface; the degree to which something is deep.
    • Measure the depth of the water in this part of the bay.
  • The distance between the front and the back, as the depth of a drawer or closet.
  • (figuratively) The intensity, complexity, strength, seriousness or importance of an emotion, situation, etc.
    • The depth of her misery was apparent to everyone.
    The depth of the crisis had been exaggerated.
    We were impressed by the depth of her knowledge.
  • Lowness.
    • the depth of a sound
  • (computing, colors) The total palette of available colors.
  • (arts, photography) The property of appearing three-dimensional.
    • The depth of field in this picture is amazing.
  • (literary, usually plural) The deepest part. (Usually of a body of water.)
    • The burning ship finally sunk into the depths .
  • (literary, usually plural) A very remote part.
    • Into the depths of the jungle...
    In the depths of the night,
  • The most severe part.
    • in the depth of the crisis
    in the depths of winter
  • (logic) The number of simple elements which an abstract conception or notion includes; the comprehension or content.
  • (horology) A pair of toothed wheels which work together.
  • (statistics) The lower of the two ranks of a value in an ordered set of values.
    • {{examples-right, width=40%, sense=statistics, examples=
    Ordered Batch of 9 Values
    Value153245484956697797
    Depth 123454321
    }}

    Synonyms

    * deepness

    Related terms

    * deep * depth charge * in depth * out of one's depth

    shallow

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Having little depth; significantly less deep than wide.
    • This crater is relatively shallow .
    Saute the onions in a shallow pan.
  • Extending not far downward.
    • The water is shallow here.
  • Concerned mainly with superficial matters.
    • It was a glamorous but shallow lifestyle.
  • Lacking interest or substance.
    • The acting is good, but the characters are shallow .
  • Not intellectually deep; not penetrating deeply; simple; not wise or knowing.
    • shallow learning
  • * Francis Bacon
    • The king was neither so shallow , nor so ill advertised, as not to perceive the intention of the French king.
  • (obsolete) Not deep in tone.
  • * Francis Bacon
    • the sound perfecter and not so shallow and jarring
  • (tennis) Not far forward, close to the net
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2012 , date=June 28 , author=Jamie Jackson , title=Wimbledon 2012: Lukas Rosol shocked by miracle win over Rafael Nadal , work=the Guardian citation , page= , passage=Rosol spurned the chance to finish off a shallow second serve by spooning into the net, and a wild forehand took the set to 5-4, with the native of Prerov required to hold his serve for victory.}}

    Antonyms

    * deep

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A shallow portion of an otherwise deep body of water.
    • The ship ran aground in an unexpected shallow .
  • * Francis Bacon
    • A swift stream is not heard in the channel, but upon shallows of gravel.
  • * Dryden
    • dashed on the shallows of the moving sand
  • A fish, the rudd.

    • Usage notes

    * Usually used in the plural form.

    See also

    * shoal * sandbar * sandbank

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make or become less deep
  • * {{quote-journal, 2009, date=February 6, Andrew Z. Krug et al., Signature of the End-Cretaceous Mass Extinction in the Modern Biota, Science citation
    • , passage=The shallowing of Cenozoic age-frequency curves from tropics to poles thus appears to reflect the decreasing probability for genera to reach and remain established in progressively higher latitudes ( 9 ). }}

    Anagrams

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