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palette

noun
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pal·​ette | \ ˈpa-lət How to pronounce palette (audio) \

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 palette
b(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

Examples of palette in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There is a limited material palette here but just enough change in texture and colors to feel dynamic. — Nena Farrell, Sunset Magazine, "A Beach Bungalow’s Small Spaces Get a Modern Makeover," 17 Mar. 2020 His words and his charcoal-palette drawings have a combinatory intelligence. — Dwight Garner, New York Times, "An Illustrated Love Song to Jewish Restaurants of Old," 16 Mar. 2020 While drugstore products are better than ever, there's something to be said about the joy a fancy palette or lipstick can bring. — Bella Cacciatore, Glamour, "The Best Chanel Makeup Products Worth Your Money," 13 Mar. 2020 Mistaken identities The blue tang goes by many common names, including palette surgeonfish, regal blue tang, hippo tang, flagtail surgeonfish, royal blue tang, Pacific regal blue tang, and blue surgeonfish. — National Geographic, "Blue tang," 28 Feb. 2020 The brilliant palette infuses the sequence with a striking visual beauty, even if the result is a foregone conclusion. — Charles Solomon, Los Angeles Times, "Review: Explosions, valor and visuals lift crowd-pleasing ‘My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising’," 25 Feb. 2020 His new alias Love Regenerator is a time-capsule of a sonic experience, using only era-specific gear to create wholly modern grooves from nostalgic palettes. — Billboard Staff, Billboard, "First Spin: The Week's Best New Dance Tracks From Calvin Harris, Boys Noize, Mija and More," 14 Feb. 2020 But the Gwion palette did not appear to include charcoal. — Elizabeth Finkel, Science | AAAS, "Mysterious Australian rock art may depict the chaos following rising seas," 5 Feb. 2020 Certain trim pieces are highlighted in Energetic Yellow, a color from the Mucinex palette that can be deleted. — Ezra Dyer, Car and Driver, "The Electric Mini Cooper SE Is About More Than Just Range," 28 Jan. 2020

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.

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First Known Use of palette

1622, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for palette

French, from Middle French, diminutive of pale spade, from Latin pala; probably akin to Latin pangere to fix — more at pact

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Time Traveler for palette

Time Traveler

The first known use of palette was in 1622

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Statistics for palette

Last Updated

26 Mar 2020

Cite this Entry

“Palette.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/palette. Accessed 30 Mar. 2020.

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More Definitions for palette

palette

noun
How to pronounce palette (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of palette

: 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
: the range of colors used by someone

See the full definition for palette in the English Language Learners Dictionary

palette

noun
pal·​ette | \ ˈpa-lət How to pronounce palette (audio) \

Kids Definition of palette

1 : a thin board or tablet on which a painter puts and mixes colors
2 : the set of colors that an artist is using

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More from Merriam-Webster on palette

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with palette

Spanish Central: Translation of palette

Nglish: Translation of palette for Spanish Speakers

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