eclipse

noun 1. an astronomical event that occurs when an astronomical object is temporarily obscured, either by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer.

食（天文現象）

2. a loss of importance, power, etc. especially because sb/sth else has become more important, powerful,etc.

黯然失色，暗淡

verb 1. to cause an eclipse

遮住……的光

2. to make sb/sth seem dull or unimportant by comparison

使失色；使相形見絀；使喪失重要性

由於它指代“天體的部分或全部受其它天體的遮掩而變得晦暗”，我們可以將其引申為“使黯然失色”，用在英語寫作或口語表達上會使您增色不少。

作名詞時，eclipse常和介詞in連用，如Fred was in eclipse,exiled to a small post in the south.（弗雷德失勢了，被打發到南方去擔任一個小差使。）作動詞時，如：She is quite eclipsed by her clever younger sister.（在聰明的妹妹面前，她變得黯然失色。）

eclipse本身只有“食”的含義，故而月食應寫作：lunar eclipse ，日食應寫作：solar eclipse。如果要強調“日全食”可用total solar eclipse來表達；“日偏食”則是partial solar eclipse。