The word "umbrella" comes from the Latin word "umbra," meaning shade. Umbrellas are used for protection against rain or sun. The devices normally are small, round canopies of fabric, paper, or plastic that either are held open or are able to be open and collapsed by mechanical means. They have been used in the Orient and Mediterranean civilizations since ancient times. They vanished from Europe following the end of the Roman Empire, to be reintroduced in the late-16th century.