Definition of palette
1 : a thin oval or rectangular board or tablet that a painter holds and mixes pigments on
2a : the set of colors put on the paletteb (1) : a particular range, quality, or use of color The designer's palette consisted mostly of earth tones. (2) : a comparable range, quality, or use of available elements a rich palette of tones and timbres a palette of flavors a palette of vegetables
From the M-W Editors
Recent Examples of palette from the Web
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Last month, Storybook Cosmetics released an eyeshadow palette with shades channeling all of your favorite moments from the film, and last year, Jeffree Star launched a hot-pink highlighter named after North Shore High School's queen bee.
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In true Marc Jacobs fashion, these palettes pop with colors, from azure-blue to fuchsia-pink—but don’t let that dissuade you.
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Many backgrounds are colored with unexpected, complementary palettes (pink sky, purple trees) and traced in outlines that are slightly off-registration and rough.
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And that's immediately clear in the sonic palette of 4:44.
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The shapes, painted with silk-screen ink, form colorful color palettes in pinks and oranges and create a sense of motion across the long canvas.
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Grab a flat mixing surface (like a plate or palette) and sprinkle a little bit of the gold pigment on top.
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But, fear not, you won’t be left with a fishy palette.
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But after 20 minutes of searching, the group emerged with just one purchase among the five of them: An eyeshadow palette that cost $3.99.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'palette.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of palette
French, from Middle French, diminutive of pale spade, from Latin pala; probably akin to Latin pangere to fix — more at pact
PALETTE Defined for English Language Learners
palette
playDefinition of palette for English Language Learners
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: a thin board that has a hole for the thumb at one end and that is used by a painter to mix colors while painting
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: the range of colors used by someone
PALETTE Defined for Kids
palette
playDefinition of palette for Students
1 : a thin board or tablet on which a painter puts and mixes colors
2 : the set of colors that an artist is using
Learn More about palette
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See words that rhyme with palette Spanish Central: Translation of palette Nglish: Translation of palette for Spanish speakers
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