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Pale

15 dictionary results for: pale

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

pale1

[peyl] Pronunciation Key adjective, pal·er, pal·est, verb, paled, pal·ing.

–adjective

1.	lacking intensity of color; colorless or whitish: a pale complexion.

2.	of a low degree of chroma, saturation, or purity; approaching white or gray: pale yellow.

3.	not bright or brilliant; dim: the pale moon.

4.	faint or feeble; lacking vigor: a pale protest.

–verb (used without object), verb (used with object)

5.	to make or become pale: to pale at the sight of blood.

[Origin: 1250–1300; ME < MF < L pallidus pallid

]

—Related forms

palely, adverb

paleness, noun

—Synonyms 1. Pale, pallid, wan imply an absence of color, esp. from the human countenance. Pale implies a faintness or absence of color, which may be natural when applied to things, the pale blue of a violet, but when used to refer to the human face usually means an unnatural and often temporary absence of color, as arising from sickness or sudden emotion: pale cheeks. Pallid, limited mainly to the human countenance, implies an excessive paleness induced by intense emotion, disease, or death: the pallid lips of the dying man. Wan implies a sickly paleness, as after a long illness: wan and thin; the suggestion of weakness may be more prominent than that of lack of color: a wan smile. 5. blanch, whiten.

—Antonyms 1. ruddy. 5. darken.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

pale2

[peyl] Pronunciation Key noun, verb, paled, pal·ing.

–noun

1.	a stake or picket, as of a fence.

2.	an enclosing or confining barrier; enclosure.

3.	an enclosed area.

4.	limits; bounds: outside the pale of his jurisdiction.

5.	a district or region within designated bounds.

6.	(initial capital letter) Also called English Pale, Irish Pale. a district in eastern Ireland included in the Angevin Empire of King Henry II and his successors.

7.	an ordinary in the form of a broad vertical stripe at the center of an escutcheon.

8.	Shipbuilding. a shore used inside to support the deck beams of a hull under construction.

–verb (used with object)

9.	to enclose with pales; fence.

10.	to encircle or encompass.

—Idiom

11.	beyond the pale, beyond the limits of propriety, courtesy, protection, safety, etc.: Their public conduct is certainly beyond the pale.

[Origin: 1300–50; ME (north), OE pāl < L pālus stake. See peel³, pole¹

]

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

pale¹ (pāl) Pronunciation Key

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n.

A stake or pointed stick; a picket.
A fence enclosing an area.
The area enclosed by a fence or boundary.
1. A region or district lying within an imposed boundary or constituting a separate jurisdiction.
2. Pale The medieval dominions of the English in Ireland. Used with the.
Heraldry A wide vertical band in the center of an escutcheon.

tr.v. paled, pal·ing, pales
To enclose with pales; fence in.

[Middle English, from Old French pal, from Latin pālus; see pag- in Indo-European roots.]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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pale² (pāl) Pronunciation Key
adj. pal·er, pal·est

Whitish in complexion; pallid.
1. Of a low intensity of color; light.
2. Having high lightness and low saturation.
Of a low intensity of light; dim or faint: "a late afternoon sun coming through the el tracks and falling in pale oblongs on the cracked, empty sidewalks" (Jimmy Breslin).
Feeble; weak: a pale rendition of the aria.

v.   paled, pal·ing, pales

v.   tr.
To cause to turn pale.

v.   intr.

To become pale; blanch: paled with fright.
To decrease in relative importance.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin pallidus, from pallēre, to be pale; see pel-¹ in Indo-European roots.]

pale'ly adv., pale'ness n.

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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
pale (adj.)

c.1300, from O.Fr. paile, from L. pallidus "pale, pallid, wan," from pallere "be pale, grow pale," from PIE *pol-/*pel- (see pallor). The verb is first recorded c.1300. Pale-face, supposed N.Amer. Indian word for "European," is attested from 1822.

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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
pale (n.)

c.1330, "fence of pointed stakes," from L. palus "stake," related to pangere "to fix or fasten" (see pact). Fig. sense of "limit, boundary, restriction" is from c.1400. Barely surviving in beyond the pale and similar phrases. Meaning "the part of Ireland under English rule" is from 1547.

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WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

pale
adjective
1.	very light colored; highly diluted with white; "pale seagreen"; "pale blue eyes"
2.	(of light) lacking in intensity or brightness; dim or feeble; "the pale light of a half moon"; "a pale sun"; "the late afternoon light coming through the el tracks fell in pale oblongs on the street"; "a pallid sky"; "the pale (or wan) stars"; "the wan light of dawn"
3.	lacking in vitality or interest or effectiveness; "a pale rendition of the aria"; "pale prose with the faint sweetness of lavender"; "a pallid performance"
4.	abnormally deficient in color as suggesting physical or emotional distress; "the pallid face of the invalid"; "her wan face suddenly flushed"
5.	not full or rich; "high, pale, pure and lovely song"
noun
1.	a wooden strip forming part of a fence [syn: picket]
verb
1.	turn pale, as if in fear

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American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms - Cite This Source - Share This

pale

see beyond the pale.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Pale

Em*pale"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Empaled; p. pr. & vb. n. Empaling.] [OF. empaler to palisade, pierce, F. empaler to punish by empalement; pref. em- (L. in) + OF. & F. pal a pale, stake. See Pale a stake, and cf. Impale.] [Written also impale.]

1. To fence or fortify with stakes; to surround with a line of stakes for defense; to impale.

All that dwell near enemies empale villages, to save themselves from surprise. --Sir W. Raleigh.

2. To inclose; to surround. See Impale.

3. To put to death by thrusting a sharpened stake through the body.

4. (Her.) Same as Impale.

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Pale

Fal"low\, a. [AS. fealu, fealo, pale yellow or red; akin to D. vaal fallow, faded, OHG. falo, G. falb, fahl, Icel. f["o]lr, and prob. to Lith. palvas, OSlav. plav[u^] white, L. pallidus pale, pallere to be pale, Gr. polio`s gray, Skr. palita. Cf. Pale, Favel, a., Favor.]

1. Pale red or pale yellow; as, a fallow deer or greyhound. --Shak.

2. [Cf. Fallow, n.] Left untilled or unsowed after plowing; uncultivated; as, fallow ground.

Fallow chat, Fallow finch (Zo["o]l.), a small European bird, the wheatear (Saxicola [oe]nanthe). See Wheatear.

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Pale

Pa"lo\, n. [Sp. See Pale a stake.] A pole or timber of any kind; -- in the names of trees. [Sp. Amer.]

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Pale

Pale\, a. [Compar. Paler; superl. Palest.] [F. p[^a]le, fr. p[^a]lir to turn pale, L. pallere to be o? look pale. Cf. Appall, Fallow, pall, v. i., Pallid.]

1. Wanting in color; not ruddy; dusky white; pallid; wan; as, a pale face; a pale red; a pale blue. "Pale as a forpined ghost." --Chaucer.

Speechless he stood and pale. --Milton.

They are not of complexion red or pale. --T. Randolph.

2. Not bright or brilliant; of a faint luster or hue; dim; as, the pale light of the moon.

The night, methinks, is but the daylight sick; It looks a little paler. --Shak.

Note: Pale is often used in the formation of self-explaining compounds; as, pale-colored, pale-eyed, pale-faced, pale-looking, etc.

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Pale

Pale\, n. Paleness; pallor. [R.] --Shak.

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Pale

Pale\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Paled; p. pr. & vb. n. Paling.] To turn pale; to lose color or luster. --Whittier.

Apt to pale at a trodden worm. --Mrs. Browning.

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