palette knife

C2 Topic:Tools, Machines & Construction

US /ˈpæl.ət ˌnaɪf/ UK /ˈpæl.ət ˌnaɪf/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
a blunt, flexible, flat-bladed artist's tool used to mix colors on a palette and sometimes to apply or remove paint

The painter blended the two pigments with a palette knife before touching the canvas.
2

noun
chiefly British: a broad, flexible, blunt kitchen knife used for spreading soft mixtures or lifting delicate food

She smoothed the icing with a palette knife.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a blunt, flexible,... painting spatulapainting knife

2 noun · chiefly british: a broad,... icing spatulafrosting spatula

Word family

Related forms palette spatula impasto paintbrush

Etymology

A compound of palette and knife, first recorded in English in the eighteenth century for the flexible blade used at an artist's palette. Palette was borrowed from French palette, a diminutive related to pale, 'shovel or blade.' The culinary sense developed from a similarly broad, blunt, flexible utensil.

Topics

Tools, Machines & Construction Word Formation & Derivatives Register & Style

External links

# palette knife

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈpæl.ət ˌnaɪf/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈpæl.ət ˌnaɪf/

## Meanings
1. a blunt, flexible, flat-bladed artist's tool used to mix colors on a palette and sometimes to apply or remove paint
2. chiefly British: a broad, flexible, blunt kitchen knife used for spreading soft mixtures or lifting delicate food

## Examples
- The painter blended the two pigments with a palette knife before touching the canvas.
- She smoothed the icing with a palette knife.

## Synonyms
- painting spatula
- painting knife
- icing spatula

## Related Forms
- palette
- spatula
- impasto
- paintbrush

## Etymology
A compound of palette and knife, first recorded in English in the eighteenth century for the flexible blade used at an artist's palette. Palette was borrowed from French palette, a diminutive related to pale, 'shovel or blade.' The culinary sense developed from a similarly broad, blunt, flexible utensil.

## Topics
- Tools, Machines & Construction
- Word Formation & Derivatives
- Register & Style

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