[ 'palɪt ]
■ noun
1》 a thin board or other surface on which an artist lays and mixes colours.
2》 the range of colours used by a particular artist or at a particular time.
↘the range or variety of tonal or instrumental colour in a musical piece.
Origin
C18: from Fr., dimin. of pale 'shovel', from L. pala 'spade'.