A gradual disappearance or diminishment; in basketball, a jump shot taken while moving backward away from the defender.
Compound word from 'fade' (from Old English fadian meaning 'to fit' or 'to go away') + 'away' (from Old English aweg). Originally a single concept of gradual departure.
The fadeaway jump shot became iconic through Michael Jordan and is now a textbook example of how sports terminology enters general language—a technical basketball move named by its physical appearance rather than function.
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