PALE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does pale mean? 

• PALE (noun)
  The noun PALE has 1 sense:

1. a wooden strip forming part of a fence

  Familiarity information: PALE used as a noun is very rare.

• PALE (adjective)
  The adjective PALE has 5 senses:

1. very light colored; highly diluted with white

2. (of light) lacking in intensity or brightness; dim or feeble

3. lacking in vitality or interest or effectiveness

4. abnormally deficient in color as suggesting physical or emotional distress

5. not full or rich

  Familiarity information: PALE used as an adjective is common.

• PALE (verb)
  The verb PALE has 1 sense:

1. turn pale, as if in fear

  Familiarity information: PALE used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PALE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A wooden strip forming part of a fence

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

pale; picket

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)

• PALE (adjective)

Comparative: paler   
Superlative: palest   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Very light colored; highly diluted with white

Context example:

pale blue eyes

Similar:

light; light-colored ((used of color) having a relatively small amount of coloring agent)

Derivation:

paleness (being deficient in color)

Sense 2

Meaning:

(of light) lacking in intensity or brightness; dim or feeble

Synonyms:

pale; pallid; sick; wan

Context example:

the wan light of dawn

Similar:

weak (wanting in physical strength)

Derivation:

paleness (being deficient in color)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Lacking in vitality or interest or effectiveness

Synonyms:

pale; pallid

Context example:

a pallid performance

Similar:

colorless; colourless (lacking in variety and interest)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Abnormally deficient in color as suggesting physical or emotional distress

Synonyms:

pale; pallid; wan

Context example:

her wan face suddenly flushed

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 5

Meaning:

Not full or rich

Context example:

high, pale, pure and lovely song

Similar:

thin ((of sound) lacking resonance or volume)

• PALE (verb)

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

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

blanch; blench; pale

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 

He himself, I thought, looked somewhat paler and more stern than I was used to.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

"Mercy on me, Beth loves Laurie!" she said, sitting down in her own room, pale with the shock of the discovery which she believed she had just made.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

The man turned a shade paler and cast a malignant glance at Holmes.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

At my cry he dropped it from his grasp and turned as pale as death.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Often he stooped and picked pale muskeg berries, put them into his mouth, and chewed and swallowed them.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

A disorder characterized by target lesions (a pink-red ring around a pale center).

(Erythema Multiforme, NCI Thesaurus/CTCAE)

There, I found my mother, very pale and with red eyes: into whose arms I ran, and begged her pardon from my suffering soul.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

They were both pale; and there was an answering horror in their eyes.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

“He did not turn pale. He was pale when we entered the room,” said he.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Now he was pale and wild-eyed, gasping as he breathed like one who has run far and fast.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)