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Shadow Cabinet the opposition counterpart of government ministers; the term is first recorded in a letter of 1906 from the Conservative statesman Arthur James Balfour (1848–1930).
the shadow of death a place or period of intense gloom or peril; often with reference to Psalm 23:4. The term in biblical usage represents a Hebrew expression which is a poetic word for intense darkness; in English, however, it is likely to be used in a context denoting the sorrow and fear associated with approaching death.
See also five o'clock shadow, old sins cast long shadows.
Subjects: Politics.
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