Dictionary
Find
in
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Translations

Click to move up the list of words
paleontology
paleopathology
Paleosiberian
Paleozoic
paleozoology
Palermo
Palestine
palestra
palette
palette knife
palfrey
Pali
pali
palimony
palimpsest
palindrome
paling
Click to move down the list of words
Print Preview
See pronunciation key
Search for "palette" in all of MSN Encarta
E-mail this entry
Blog about this entry on MSN Spaces
Download the MSN Encarta Right-Click Dictionary

palette

pal·ette [ pállət ] (plural pal·ettes)


noun 
Definition:
 
1. graphic arts board for artist's paints: a board or tray on which an artist arranges and mixes paints. A traditional style of palette is an oval board that curves in near a thumbhole, so that the artist can hold the board steadily from underneath.

2. graphic arts range of colors used by artist: the assortment of colors on a palette, in a painting, or characteristic of an artist's work

3. comput color range of computer display: the range of colors that can be reproduced on a computer display

4. arts qualities in nongraphic art: a range of qualities in a nongraphic art such as music or literature

[Late 18th century. < French (see pallet1)]

Spelling Note

See palate.

Advertisement

Also on Encarta
Englishtown: Learn English online
Our Partners
Also on MSN
Encarta Message Boards (© Rubberball/Jupiterimages)
Shopping
© 2009 Microsoft