pale

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

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

transitive verb

paledpal·ing

Definition of PALE

: to enclose with pales : fence

First Known Use of PALE

14th century

³pale

adjective

pal·erpal·est

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

Examples of PALE

1. the pale wood of the table
2. The walls were painted a pale blue.
3. She has a pale complexion.
4. Her illness had left her pale and weak.
5. She grew pale with fright.
6. Are you feeling well? You look pale.
7. the pale light of dawn

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

Related Words

flat, lackluster, lusterless, matte (also mat or matt); dim, faint; dirty, muddy; achromatic, colorless, uncolored, undyed, unpainted, unstained; blanched, bleached, washed, white, whitened; gray (also grey), indistinct, neutral

Near Antonyms

bright, brilliant, vibrant, vivid; chromatic, colored, dyed, painted, stained, tinged, tinted; colorful, motley, multicolored, polychromatic, polychrome, prismatic, rainbow, varicolored, variegated; flashy, garish, gaudy, loud, showy, splashy

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

adjective \ˈpā(ə)l\   (Medical Dictionary)

pal·er; pal·est

Medical Definition of PALE

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

—pale·ness \-nəs\ (audio pronunciation) noun

pale

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

District separated from the surrounding country by defined boundaries or set apart by a distinctive administrative and legal system. In imperial Russia from the late 18th century, the Pale of Settlement was the area in which Jews were permitted to live. By the 19th century it included all of Russian Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, Crimea, Bessarabia, and most of Ukraine. It ceased to exist during World War I, when Jews in great numbers fled to the interior, and it was abolished in 1917. The English maintained a pale in Ireland until the entire island was subjugated under Elizabeth I in the 16th century.