pastel

¹pas·tel

noun \pas-ˈtel\

: a type of chalk made from a powdery substance that is used for drawing and comes in many different colors

: a drawing that is done using pastels

: a pale or light color

Full Definition of PASTEL

1

:  a paste made of powdered pigment ranging from pale to deep colors and used for making crayons; also :  a crayon made of such paste

2

a :  a drawing in pastel

b :  the process or art of drawing with pastels

3

:  a light literary sketch

4

:  any of various pale or light colors

Examples of PASTEL

1. She has a collection of pastels.
2. She prefers a pastel like light yellow.
3. The room is painted in a pastel shade of blue.

Origin of PASTEL

French, from Italian pastello, from Late Latin pastellus woad, from diminutive of pasta

First Known Use: 1662

Rhymes with PASTEL

band shell, barbell, Becquerel, Blackwell, bluebell, bombshell, bridewell, cadelle, cartel, chandelle, Chanel, clamshell, compel, cormel, cornel, corral, cowbell, cupel, diel, dispel, doorbell, dry cell, dry well, dumbbell, duxelles, ear shell, eggshell, excel, expel, farewell, fat cell, foretell, fuel cell, gazelle, germ cell, Glaspell, gromwell, groundswell, half shell, handbell, hard sell, hard-shell, harebell, hotel, impel, indwell, inkwell, Jarrell, jurel, Kandel, lampshell, lapel, Mandel, marcel, maxwell, Maxwell, micelle, misspell, morel, motel, nacelle, nerve cell, Nobel, noel, nouvelle, nutshell, oil well, Orel, Orwell, outsell, pall-mall, Parnell, pell-mell, pixel, pointelle, Ponselle, presell, propel, quenelle, rakehell, rappel, Ravel, rebel, refel, repel, respell, retell, riel, rondel, Roswell, saurel, scalpel, seashell, sequel, sleigh bell, soft sell, soft-shell, solgel, speedwell, spinel, stairwell, star shell, stem cell, tooth shell, unsell, unwell, upwell, wind-bell

²pastel

adjective

Definition of PASTEL

1

a :  of or relating to a pastel

b :  made with pastels

2

:  pale and light in color

3

:  lacking in body or vigor

Examples of PASTEL

1. <a pastel blue to go with the pale pink walls>

First Known Use of PASTEL

1884

Related to PASTEL

Synonyms

dull, dulled, faded, light, pale, 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

pastel

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Drawing medium consisting of fragile, finger-size crayons called pastels, made of powdered pigments combined with a minimum of nongreasy binder (usually gum tragacanth or, from the mid-20th century, methyl cellulose). Because pigment applied with pastel does not change in colour value, the final effect can be seen immediately. Pastel remains on the surface of the paper and thus can be easily obliterated unless protected by glass or a fixative spray of glue size or gum solution. When pastel is applied in short strokes or linearly, it is usually classed as drawing; when it is rubbed, smeared, and blended to achieve painterly effects, it is often regarded as a painting medium.