An umbrella or parasol (sometimes colloquially, gamp, brolly, or bumbershoot) is a canopy designed to protect precipitation or sunlight. The term parasol usually refers to an item designed to protect from the sun, and umbrella refers to a device more suited to protect from rain. Often the difference is the material; a parasol would sometimes not be waterproof. Parasols are often meant to be fixed to one point and often used with patio tables or other outdoor furniture, or on the beach for shelter from the sun. Umbrellas are almost exclusively hand-held portable devices, however parasols can also be hand-held. The word umbrella is from the Latin word umbra, which in turn derives from the Ancient Greek ?????? (ombros). Its meaning is shade or shadow. Brolly is a slang word for umbrella, used often in Britain and Australia.

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