Pale, ghastly. (In Old English In the second quotation the sense is quite uncertain: cf. sense 3.)

Abnormally pale or pallid, esp. from illness, or from fear or other emotion. Frequently in (typically hyperbolic) similes (cf. as white as a sheet at…

Of the complexion: having a pale, sickly, or bilious hue, indicative of fear, envy, ill humour, or sickness (also in green and wan, green and pale)…

Pale, pallid, wan: implying deficiency or loss of colour, esp. of the ruddy hue of health, or of the full green of vegetation; of a sickly hue: thus…

Pale.

Pallid, faded, sickly; unusually or unhealthily pale. Most frequently applied to the human face (or to things with conscious metaphor from this…

Of a person, a person's complexion, etc.: of a whitish or ashen appearance; lacking healthy colour; pallid, wan, bloodless (typically connoting…

Pale = bleak, adj. 1.

esp. in pale and wan (wan and pale).

Of a person, or a person's complexion: lacking healthy colour; pale, pallid, wan.

Resembling or suggestive of death, death-like. Of colour or aspect: pale like that of a corpse.

Without colour or brightness. Of the countenance, etc.: Deadly pale, wan. Obsolete.

Of a person or a person's face, lips, etc.: drained of blood, typically in response to illness, shock, or fear; unhealthily pale; pallid, wan.

Pale, lifeless, deathly. In later use English regional (Herefordshire). Now rare.

Lacking ruddiness; pale.

Wan, pallid.

Phrase. as paleor white as a clout.

Pale, pallid, wan; deficient in colour, esp. deficient in the ruddy bloom of health, or the full green of vegetation; of a sickly hue: also used like…

Resembling meal in colour, appearance, or texture; pale. Of a complexion: of the pale colour of meal. Of a person: having such a complexion.

Having a pale face; pale in complexion or aspect.

(Influenced by ghost, n.: cf. quot. 1711.) Like a spectre, or a dead body; death-like, pale, wan. Of light: Lurid.

Of a person: having a white or pale face, esp. as a result of illness, fear, or shock.

Rather pale. Obsolete.

Lacking depth or intensity of colour; faint or feeble in colour; spec. (of the face) wan, pale, esp. from illness, shock, etc. Chiefly poetic before…

Pale as whey.

having a tallow-face.

Pale, pallid, colourless, bloodless; lily-livered adj. white-livered, cowardly. lily-liver n. a ‘lily-livered’ person. lily-liveredly adv.

Weak. Also, of a leaden or pale colour; pale, wan.

Without roses (in various senses); pale, colourless.

= Hippocratic, adj. (in either sense).

esp. Of corpse-like or deadly pallor.

Designating an appearance of the face often seen in a person close to death after prolonged or severe illness, typically characterized by pinched…

Having a pale smooth face; effeminate-looking.

having a white or pale look or aspect.

Of a person, the face, etc.: unnaturally pale in colour; ashen, pallid (esp. as a result of anger or other strong emotion); (occasionally also)…

In proverbial phrase as white (or pale) as a sheet. Cf. (as) pale (or white) as one's shirt at shirt, n. phrases 2f, white, adj. 4a.

Having a pinched and miserable appearance. Of complexion: having a dull unhealthy look.

Of the nature of or resembling death; having the appearance of death or of a corpse; gloomy, pale, still, etc., in a manner which evokes death.

Of a person, the complexion, or a part of the body: pale, wan; physically weak, feeble; (also) emaciated.

(esp. of a non-white person) having pale or relatively pale skin.

Of a person or a person's face: having a complexion or appearance likened to suet; pallid, waxen, plump, etc. Cf. suet-faced adj.

Of persons: Pale and sickly-looking; weak, feeble, puny.

Pale with fear or other emotion, hunger, etc.

Resembling tallow in colour or complexion.

having a face likened to the appearance or consistency of suet; esp. having a pallid or waxen complexion; cf. suety, adj. 1b.

Of the complexion, skin, etc.: of the colour of dough; dull, unhealthily pale. Cf. pasty-faced adj. at compounds.

Of the nature of or resembling tallow; tallow-like, tallowy.

= ghastly, adj. 2a. Obsolete. rare.

transferred and figurative. As if made of wax. With reference to the smooth and lustrous surface of things modelled in wax. Said, e.g., of…

Devoid of complexion, i.e. of colour in the cheeks; pale, colourless.

Of a black or other non-white person: having pale or relatively pale skin.

White or fair as a lily; lily-white; lily-like. Also in parasynthetic combinations, as lily-cheeked, lily-fingered, lily-handed, lily-wristed adjs.

Full of or containing lard; fat.

= exsanguious, adj.

Of the complexion, etc.: that is (or is held to be) of the pale golden colour of ripe wheat; light brown, pale-skinned.