Definition of 'palette'

Word Frequency

palette

(pælɪt )

Word forms: plural palettes

1. countable noun

A palette is a flat piece of wood or plastic on which an artist mixes paints.

2. countable noun [usually singular]

You can refer to the range of colours that are used by a particular artist or group of artists as their palette.

David Fincher paints from a palette consisting almost exclusively of grey and mud brown.

Image of
palette

palette in British English

(ˈpælɪt )

noun

1. Also: pallet

a flat piece of wood, plastic, etc, used by artists as a surface on which to mix their paints

the range of colours characteristic of a particular artist, painting, or school of painting

a restricted palette

the available range of colours or patterns that can be displayed by a computer on a visual display unit

either of the plates of metal attached by a strap to the cuirass in a suit of armour to protect the armpits

▶ USAGE Avoid confusion with palate, pallet1, pallet2

Word origin

C17: from French, diminutive of pale shovel, from Latin pala spade

Word Frequency

palette in American English

(ˈpælɪt )

noun

a thin board or tablet of wood, plastic, etc., often with a hole for the thumb at one end, on which an artist arranges and mixes paints

the colors used by a particular artist or for a particular painting

Word origin

Fr, dim. of pale, a shovel < L pala, a spade, shovel

Word Frequency

palette in American English

(ˈpælɪt)

noun

a thin and usually oval or oblong board or tablet with a thumb hole at one end, used by painters for holding and mixing colors

any other flat surface used by a painter for this purpose

the set of colors on such a board or surface

the range of colors used by a particular artist

the variety of techniques or range of any art

a lush but uneven musical palette

the complete range of colors made available by a computer graphics card, from which a user or program may choose those to be displayed

7. (in ancient Egyptian art)

a somewhat flattish slate object of various shapes, carved with commemorative scenes or motifs or, esp. in the smaller pieces, containing a recessed area probably for holding eye makeup and often used as a votive offering

8. Also: pallette Armor

a small plate defending the front of the armpit when the arm is lifted; gusset

Derived forms

palettelike

adjective

Word origin

[1615–25; ‹ F, MF ‹ It paletta, dim. of pala shovel ‹ L pāla; see -ette]

Examples of 'palette' in a sentence
palette

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Use a palette knife to flatten the top of each piece so that they appear smooth.Bring the dough together with a palette knife first and then by hand.Make the rest of your palette tawny, brown and bronze.What is the colour palette?Or the white and smooth stuff - concrete offers a varied palette of colours, textures and finishes.This is particularly true of the restricted musical palette of pop music.Using a feminine colour palette was important.The darker palette was suited to his recent upheavals.With our new launches we wanted to build a meaningful palette around that grey. Tip in the egg yolk and distribute using a palette knife.

Word lists with
palette

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