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PALE
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
A wooden strip forming part of a fence
Synonyms:
pale; picket
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("pale" is a kind of...):
strip (thin piece of wood or metal)
Holonyms ("pale" is a part of...):
paling; picket fence (a fence made of upright pickets)
II. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Abnormally deficient in color as suggesting physical or emotional distress
Example:
her wan face suddenly flushed
Synonyms:
pale; pallid; wan
Classified under:
Similar:
colorless; colourless (weak in color; not colorful)
Derivation:
paleness (unnatural lack of color in the skin (as from bruising or sickness or emotional distress))
Sense 2
Meaning:
Lacking in vitality or interest or effectiveness
Example:
a pallid performance
Synonyms:
pale; pallid
Classified under:
Similar:
colorless; colourless (lacking in variety and interest)
Sense 3
Meaning:
Very light colored; highly diluted with white
Example:
pale blue eyes
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
light; light-colored ((used of color) having a relatively small amount of coloring agent)
Derivation:
paleness (being deficient in color)
Sense 4
Meaning:
Not full or rich
Example:
high, pale, pure and lovely song
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
thin ((of sound) lacking resonance or volume)
Sense 5
Meaning:
(of light) lacking in intensity or brightness; dim or feeble
Example:
the wan light of dawn
Synonyms:
pale; pallid; sick; wan
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
weak (wanting in physical strength)
Derivation:
paleness (being deficient in color)
III. (verb)
Verb forms
Present simple: I / you / we / they pale ... he / she / it pales
Past simple: paled
Past participle: paled
-ing form: paling
Sense 1
Meaning:
Turn pale, as if in fear
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care
Hypernyms (to "pale" is one way to...):
color; colour; discolor; discolour (change color, often in an undesired manner)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s
Derivation:
pallor (unnatural lack of color in the skin (as from bruising or sickness or emotional distress))
Context examples:
But there are six other wild species of watermelon, all of which, however, have pale, hard and bitter fruits.
(Harvesting genes to improve watermelons, National Science Foundation)
On the evening of the third he rushed into our sitting-room, pale, trembling, with every muscle of his powerful frame quivering with excitement.
(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
The roses seem coming back already to her cheeks, though she is still sadly pale and wan-looking.
(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)
Skin which is extremely pale white and it always burns when exposed to the sun.
(Fitzpatrick Skin Type I, NCI Thesaurus)
It has a cream or pale gray undercoat and an outer coat that comes in shades of gray with black tips and stands away from the body.
(Keeshond, NCI Thesaurus)
Coat colors come in solid white, or white with patches of tan, wolf-gray or pale yellow.
(Great Pyrenees, NCI Thesaurus)
This can lead to high blood pressure and cause symptoms such as: • Headaches • Sweating • Pounding of the heart • Being shaky • Being extremely pale
(Pheochromocytoma, NIH: National Cancer Institute)
“So long as I am within the pale of the king's law,” the stranger answered, “I cannot see why I should render account to every passing wayfarer.”
(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
And you wrote that tremendous 'Love-cycle' to her—that pale, shrivelled, female thing!
(Martin Eden, by Jack London)
The cheeks which had been pale now glowed, and the movements which had hesitated were decided.
(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)
