# shader

/ˈʃeɪdɝ/ (US) · CEFR C2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/shader
Updated: 2026-10-19

## Definition

a small program that tells a computer how to draw light, shadow, and color on 3D images. You hear it when people talk about game or film graphics.

For teachers: a program run on a graphics processor that computes surface appearance, including lighting, shadow, and texture, during rendering. Central to real-time 3D pipelines in games and visual effects.

## Examples

- The new shader makes the water look real.
- The designer adjusts the shader to give the car paint a soft metallic shine.
- The technical artist rewrote the terrain shader to blend rock and grass more naturally under changing light.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.