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An umbrella or parasol is a folding canopy supported by metal ribs, which is mounted on a wooden, metal or plastic pole. It is designed to protect a person against rain or sunlight. The word "umbrella" typically refers to a device used for protection from rain. The word ''parasol'' usually refers to an item designed to protect from the sun. Often the difference is the material used for the canopy; some parasols are not waterproof. Umbrella canopies may be made of fabric or flexible plastic. Umbrellas and parasols are primarily hand-held portable devices sized for personal use. The largest hand-portable umbrellas are golf umbrellas. Umbrellas can be divided into two categories: fully collapsible umbrellas, in which the metal pole supporting the canopy retracts, making the umbrella small enough to fit in a purse, and non-collapsible umbrellas in which the support pole cannot retract; only the canopy can be collapsed. Another distinction can be made between manually operated umbrellas and spring-loaded automatic umbrellas which spring open at the press of a button. Hand-held umbrellas have some type of handle, either a wooden or plastic cylinder or a bent "crook" handle (like the handle of a cane). Umbrellas are available in a range of price and quality points, ranging from inexpensive, modest quality models sold at discount stores to expensive, finely made, designer-labeled models. Larger parasols capable of blocking the sun for several people are often used as fixed or semi-fixed devices, used with patio tables or other outdoor furniture, or as points of shade on a sunny beach. The collapsible/folding umbrella, the direct predecessor to the modern umbrella, originated in China. These Chinese umbrellas were internally supported with bendable, retractable, and extendable joints as well as sliding levers similar to those in use today. Parasols are sometimes called sunshades. An umbrella may also be called a brolly (''UK slang''), parapluie (''nineteenth century, French origin''), rainshade, gamp (''British, informal, dated''), bumbershoot (''American slang''). ==Etymology== The word "parasol" (Spanish or French) is a combination of ''para'', meaning to stop or to shield, and ''sol'', meaning sun. "Parapluie" (French) similarly consists of ''para'' combined with ''pluie'', which means rain (which in turn derives from ''pluvia'', the Latin word for rain). Hence, a ''parasol'' shields from sunlight while a ''parapluie'' shields from rain. (''Parachute'' means "shield from fall".) The word "umbrella" evolved from the Latin ''umbella'' (an umbel is a flat-topped rounded flower) or ''umbra'', meaning shaded or shadow (the Latin word, in turn, derives from the Ancient Greek ''ómbros'' ()). In Britain, umbrellas were sometimes referred to as "gamps" after the character Mrs. Gamp in the Charles Dickens novel ''Martin Chuzzlewit'', although this usage is now obscure. Mrs. Gamp's character was well known for carrying an umbrella.〔''The Oxford English Dictionary'' 2nd ed 1989, Oxford University Press; (OED Online ) (requires subscription)〕 ''Brolly'' is a slang word for umbrella, used often in Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and Kenya. ''Bumbershoot'' is a fanciful Americanism from the late 19th century. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「umbrella」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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