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¹pale

noun \ˈpāl\

Definition of PALE

1

archaic : palisade, paling

2

a : one of the stakes of a palisade

b : picket

3

a : a space or field having bounds : enclosure

b : a territory or district within certain bounds or under a particular jurisdiction

4

: an area or the limits within which one is privileged or protected (as from censure) <conduct that was beyond the pale>

5

: a perpendicular stripe on a heraldic shield

See pale defined for English-language learners

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Origin of PALE

Middle English, from Anglo-French pel, pal stake, from Latin palus — more at pole

First Known Use: 12th century

Rhymes with PALE

ail, ale, bail, bale, Bâle, brail, braille, Braille, dale, fail, flail, frail, Gael, gale, Gale, grail, hail, hale, jail, kale, mail, male, nail, pail, quail, Quayle, rail, sail, sale, scale, shale, snail, stale, swale, tael, tail, taille, tale, trail, vail, vale, veil, wail, wale, whale, Yale

²pale

verb

paledpal·ing

Definition of PALE

transitive verb

: to enclose with pales : fence

First Known Use of PALE

14th century

³pale

adjective

: light in color

: having a skin color that is closer to white than is usual or normal

of light : not bright or intense

pal·erpal·est

Full Definition of PALE

1

: deficient in color or intensity of color : pallid <a pale complexion>

2

: not bright or brilliant : dim <a pale sun shining through the fog>

3

: feeble, faint <a pale imitation>

4

: deficient in chroma <a pale pink>

— pale·ly \ˈpāl-lē\ adverb

— pale·ness \-nəs\ noun

— pal·ish \ˈpā-lish\ adjective

See pale defined for English-language learners

See pale defined for kids

Origin of PALE

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin pallidus, from pallēre to be pale — more at fallow

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to PALE

Synonyms: dull, dulled, faded, light, pastel, washed-out, washy

Antonyms: dark, deep, gay, rich

⁴pale

verb

paledpal·ing

Definition of PALE

intransitive verb

: to become pale

transitive verb

: to make pale

First Known Use of PALE

14th century

PALE Defined for Kids

¹pale

adjective \ˈpāl\

pal·erpal·est

Definition of PALE for Kids

1

: having very light skin

2

: having a lighter skin color than normal because of sickness or fear

3

: not bright or brilliant <a pale star>

4

: light in color or shade <pale pink>

— pale·ness noun

²pale

verb

paledpal·ing

Definition of PALE for Kids

1

: to lose color <She paled when the wound was described to her.>

2

: to make or become less adequate, impressive, or intense <My science project paled in comparison to those of the other students.>

Medical Dictionary

pale

adjective \ˈpā(ə)l\

pal·erpal·est

Medical Definition of PALE

: deficient in color or intensity of color <a pale face>

—pale·ness \-nəs\ noun

Learn More About PALE

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for "pale"

Spanish Central: Spanish translation of "pale"

Nglish: Translation of "pale" for Spanish speakers

Britannica English: Translation of "pale" for Arabic speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about "pale"

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