释义 |
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024pale1 /peɪl/USA pronunciation adj., pal•er, pal•est, v., paled, pal•ing. adj. - lacking strong or natural color;
colorless or whitish:a pale complexion. - of a color that is near to white or gray:pale yellow.
- not bright or brilliant;
dim:the pale moon. v. [no object] - to become pale:to pale at the sight of blood.
- to become or seem less important:My problems with my children pale in comparison to hers.
pale•ness, n. [uncountable]pale2 /peɪl/USA pronunciation n. - a stake or picket, as of a fence.
- limits;
bounds:outside the pale of my jurisdiction. Idioms- Idioms beyond the pale, beyond the limits of proper behavior, courtesy, etc.:Holding children hostage for political purposes is behavior beyond the pale.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024pale1 (pāl),USA pronunciation adj., pal•er, pal•est, v., paled, pal•ing. adj. - lacking intensity of color;
colorless or whitish:a pale complexion. - of a low degree of chroma, saturation, or purity;
approaching white or gray:pale yellow. - not bright or brilliant;
dim:the pale moon. - faint or feeble;
lacking vigor:a pale protest. v.i., v.t. - to make or become pale:to pale at the sight of blood.
- Latin pallidus pallid
- Middle French
- Middle English 1250–1300
pale′ly, adv. pale′ness, n. - 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged . 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.See corresponding entry in Unabridged . blanch, whiten.
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged . ruddy.
- 5.See corresponding entry in Unabridged . darken.
pale2 (pāl),USA pronunciation n., v., paled, pal•ing. n. - Buildinga stake or picket, as of a fence.
- an enclosing or confining barrier;
enclosure. - an enclosed area.
- limits;
bounds:outside the pale of his jurisdiction. - a district or region within designated bounds.
- World History(cap.) Also called English Pale, Irish Pale. a district in eastern Ireland included in the Angevin Empire of King Henry II and his successors.
- Heraldryan ordinary in the form of a broad vertical stripe at the center of an escutcheon.
- Nautical, Naval Terms[Shipbuilding.]a shore used inside to support the deck beams of a hull under construction.
- Idioms beyond the pale, beyond the limits of propriety, courtesy, protection, safety, etc.:Their public conduct is certainly beyond the pale.
v.t. - Buildingto enclose with pales;
fence. - to encircle or encompass.
- Latin pālus stake. See peel3, pole1
- Middle English (north), Old English pāl 1300–50
pale-, - var. of paleo- before most vowels:paleethnology.
Also, [esp. Brit.,] palae-. Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: pale /peɪl/ adj - lacking brightness of colour; whitish: pale morning light
- (of a colour) whitish; produced by a relatively small quantity of colouring agent
- dim or wan: the pale stars
- feeble: a pale effort
vb - to make or become pale or paler; blanch
- (intransitive) often followed by before: to lose superiority or importance (in comparison to): her beauty paled before that of her hostess
Etymology: 13th Century: from Old French palle, from Latin pallidus pale, from pallēre to look wanˈpalely adv ˈpaleness n pale /peɪl/ n - a wooden post or strip used as an upright member in a fence
- an enclosing barrier, esp a fence made of pales
- an area enclosed by a pale
- an ordinary consisting of a vertical stripe, usually in the centre of a shield
- beyond the pale ⇒ outside the limits of social convention
Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French pal, from Latin pālus stake; compare pole1 |