“Adumbrate,” from the Latin “umbrare,” meaning “to cast a shadow,” has several usages. In a business or academic usage, a presentation might adumbrate larger findings in an outline form. An artist could adumbrate a future work with a quick sketch, and a big personality might adumbrate quieter colleagues in a meeting. In a literary sense, “adumbrate” refers to foreshadowing, used effectively in mysteries and thrillers. Foreshadowing is a storytelling technique in which audiences are provided with clues as to the future unfolding of the story. Particularly observant readers can figure out plot twists from even the smallest hints.