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Definition of pale - 10 dictionary results
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pale

1  [peyl] adjective, pal⋅er, pal⋅est, verb, paled, pal⋅ing.
Use pale in a Sentence
–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.
ACLS, CPR, PALS, NRP, ECG
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pale

2  [peyl] 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 peel 3 , pole 1

pale-

 
var. of paleo- before most vowels: paleethnology.
Also, especially British, palae-.

paleo-

 
a combining form meaning “old” or “ancient,” esp. in reference to former geologic time periods, used in the formation of compound words: paleobotany.
Also, pale-, especially British, palae-, palaeo-.

Origin:
< Gk palaio-, comb. form of palaiós
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To pale
pale 1   (pāl)   
n.  

  1. A stake or pointed stick; a picket.

  2. A fence enclosing an area.

  3. 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.

  5. 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.]
pale 2   (pāl)   
adj.   pal·er, pal·est

  1. Whitish in complexion; pallid.

    1. Of a low intensity of color; light.

    2. Having high lightness and low saturation.

  3. 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).

  4. Feeble; weak: a pale rendition of the aria.

v.   paled, pal·ing, pales

v.   tr.
To cause to turn pale.
v.   intr.

  1. To become pale; blanch: paled with fright.

  2. 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.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: pale
Pronunciation: 'pA(&)l
Function: adjective
Inflected Forms: pal·er; pal·est
: deficient in color orintensity of color pale face> —pale·ness /-n&s/ noun
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

paleo- or pale-
pref.

  1. Ancient; prehistoric; old: paleopathology.

  2. Early; primitive: paleokinetic.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Science Dictionary
paleo-  
A prefix that means "prehistoric" (as in paleontology) or "early or primitive" (as in Paleolithic).
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Idioms & Phrases

pale

see beyond the pale.

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