pale

pale¹ W3 [peıl] adj

[Date: 1300-1400; : Old French; Origin: Latin pallidus; PALLID]

1.) having a skin colour that is very white, or whiter than it usually is

▪ He looked very pale and drawn.

turn/go pale

▪ He suddenly went pale.

▪ Sharon went deathly pale and looked as if she might faint.

▪ an elderly, pale-faced woman

2.) a pale colour has more white in it than usual

→↑deep

= ↑light

▪ pale blue curtains

3.) pale light is not bright

▪ the pale gray dawn

4.) pale imitation (of sth)

something that is similar to, but not as good as, something else

▪ The cheese is a pale imitation of real Parmesan.

pale ²

pale² v

1.) [i]literary if your face pales, it becomes whiter than usual because you have had a shock

▪ Kent's face paled when he saw that Rob had a knife.

2.) pale into insignificance

to seem much less important when compared to something bigger, worse, more serious etc

▪ The amounts of money involved pale into insignificance when compared with the sums spent each year on research.

3.) pale in/by comparison

to seem small or unimportant compared to something else

pale in/by comparison to/with

▪ Today's economic problems pale in comparison with those of the 1930s.

pale ³

pale³ n

[Date: 1400-1500; Origin: pale 'limit' (15-18 centuries), from 'fence' (14-19 centuries), from 'pointed piece of wood driven into the ground' (14-20 centuries), from Old French pal, from Latin palus]

beyond the pale

offensive or unacceptable

▪ His opinions are entirely beyond the pale.