palette

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a thin board or other flat surface on which an artist arranges and mixes paints

   The painter blended blue and white on her palette.

2. 2
   noun

   the range of colors used in a work or available to an artist or designer

   The room's muted palette combines gray, green, and pale gold.

3. 3
   noun

   a range of expressive choices, techniques, or options available in a particular activity

   The composer added electronic sounds to her musical palette.

Borrowed from French palette, a diminutive of pale, 'shovel or blade,' ultimately from Latin pala, 'spade.' The artist's board was named for its small, flat shape. Palette and pallet are historical doublets, but their modern meanings and spellings are distinct.

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