I. ˈpāl, esp before pause or consonant -āəl adjective
( -er/-est )
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin pallidus, from pallēre to be pale — more at fallow
1.
a. : deficient in color or in intensity or depth of color : dusky white : ashen , pallid , wan
a pale face
b. : having the countenance made pale especially as a result of emotional or physical disorder
she was pale with rage
2. : not bright or brilliant : of a faint luster : dim
a pale sun shining through fog
3. : deficient in intensity or strength : weak , feeble , faint
a pale imitation of his mighty sire
pale prose with the faint sweetness of stale lavender
4. of a color : deficient in chroma
a pale pink
: deficient in vividness of hue or luster but of high brilliance — compare dull
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English palen, from Middle French palir, from pale, adjective
intransitive verb
: to turn pale : lose color or luster : blanch
she paled at the sight
transitive verb
: to make pale : diminish the brightness of
illness paled her cheek
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: pale (I)
: paleness , pallor
IV. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English palen, from Middle French paler, from pal pale (stake)
1. : to enclose, provide, or bar with a fence : encompass with or as if with pales : fence , encircle
2. obsolete : to furnish with vertical stripes by way of adornment : stripe
3. present part paleing
[origin unknown]
: solder
pale an embossed figure on the surface
V. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French pal stake, from Latin palus — more at pole
1.
a. archaic : a palisade of stakes : an enclosing barrier : paling
b. obsolete : a restraining boundary : defense
2.
a. : a pointed stake driven into the ground in forming a palisade or fence
b. : a slat fastened to a rail at top and bottom for fencing : picket
3.
a. : a space or field having bounds : an enclosed or limited region or place : enclosure
b. : a territory or district within certain bounds or under a particular jurisdiction
4. : an area (as of conduct) or the limits (as of speech) within which one is privileged or protected especially by custom (as from censure or retaliation)
conduct that was beyond the pale
5.
a. obsolete : a vertical stripe (as on a coat)
b. : a perpendicular stripe in an escutcheon
•
- in pale
- per pale
VI. transitive verb
Etymology: origin unknown
dialect England : to beat (barley) to remove the awns
VII. noun
( -s )
Etymology: New Latin palea
: the palea of a grass
VIII. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Latin pala spade, shovel — more at palette
Scotland : a cheese scoop
IX.
dialect England
variant of peel