Word
shadowing
Phoneticsshad·ow·ing, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈʃædoʊɪŋ/
UK/ʃˈædəʊɪŋ/
Definition
n. the process of following someone closely to learn how they do their job. In computing, it also means when a program runs in the background while you use another one.
n. the practice of following a more experienced professional to observe and learn their techniques. In a technical context, it refers to the execution of a process or thread in the background while the foreground process remains active.
Examples
“The new nurse is shadowing the senior doctor today.”
“During the first week of the internship, the student spent several hours shadowing the lead engineer to understand the workflow.”
“The operating system employs shadowing to allow the user to continue working on a document while the background process handles the complex rendering of the final layout.”
Examples
simple
“The new nurse is shadowing the senior doctor today.”
contextual
“During the first week of the internship, the student spent several hours shadowing the lead engineer to understand the workflow.”
complex
“The operating system employs shadowing to allow the user to continue working on a document while the background process handles the complex rendering of the final layout.”
Etymology
From shadow (verb) + -ing (suffix forming nouns denoting the act of doing something, an action, or the embodiment of an action; or forming present participles of verbs).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/shadowing