palette

UK: /ˈpælət/ US: /ˈpælɪt/ ,(pal′it)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

pal•ette /ˈpælɪt/   n. [countable]

1. Fine Art a thin board or tablet used by painters for holding and mixing colors.
2. Fine Art the set of colors on such a board.
3. the variety of techniques of an art:
   a composer's musical palette.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

pal•ette  (pal′it), n. 

1. Fine Art a thin and usually oval or oblong board or tablet with a thumb hole at one end, used by painters for holding and mixing colors.
2. Fine Art any other flat surface used by a painter for this purpose.
3. Fine Art the set of colors on such a board or surface.
4. Fine Art the range of colors used by a particular artist.
5. Music the variety of techniques or range of any art:
   a lush but uneven musical palette.
6. Computing the complete range of colors made available by a computer graphics card, from which a user or program may choose those to be displayed.
7. Archaeology (in ancient Egyptian art) a somewhat flattish slate object of various shapes, carved with commemorative scenes or motifs or, esp. in the smaller pieces, containing a recessed area probably for holding eye makeup and often used as a votive offering.
8. Heraldry Also, pallette. [Armor.] a small plate defending the front of the armpit when the arm is lifted;
   gusset.

• Latin pāla; see -ette
• Italian paletta, diminutive of pala shovel
• French, Middle French
• 1615–25

pal′ette•like′, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

palette / ˈpælɪt/ noun

1. Also: pallet a flat piece of wood, plastic, etc, used by artists as a surface on which to mix their paints
2. the range of colours characteristic of a particular artist, painting, or school of painting: a restricted palette
3. the available range of colours or patterns that can be displayed by a computer on a visual display unit

Etymology: 17th Century: from French, diminutive of pale shovel, from Latin pala spadeUSAGE
See note at palate, pallet1,