PALE

Pale

A pale is a term used in heraldic blazon and vexillology to describe a charge on a coat of arms, that takes the form of a band running vertically down the center of the shield. Writers broadly agree that the width of the pale ranges from about one-fifth to about one-third of the width of the shield, but this width is not fixed. A narrow pale is more likely if it is uncharged, that is, if it does not have other objects placed on it. If charged, the pale is typically wider to allow room for the objects drawn there.

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pale

Noun

  1. Paleness; pallor.

Noun (etymology 2)

  1. A wooden stake; a picket.
  2. Fence made from wooden stake; palisade.
  3. Limits, bounds (especially before ).
  4. The bounds of morality, good behaviour or judgment in civilized company, in the phrase beyond the pale.
  5. A vertical band down the middle of a shield.
  6. A territory or defensive area within a specific boundary or under a given jurisdiction.
    1. The parts of Ireland under English jurisdiction.
    2. The territory around under English control (from the 14th to 16th centuries).
      1. A portion of Russia in which Jews were permitted to live.
  7. The jurisdiction (territorial or otherwise) of an authority.
  8. A cheese scoop.
  9. A shore for bracing a timber before it is fastened.

Verb

  1. To turn pale; to lose colour.
  2. To become insignificant.
    2006 New York Times Its financing pales next to the tens of billions that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will have at its disposal, ...
  3. To make pale; to diminish the brightness of.

Verb (etymology 2)

  1. To enclose with pales, or as if with pales; to encircle or encompass; to fence off.
    isle, which stands ribbed and paled in / With rocks unscalable and roaring waters. — Shakespeare.

Adjective

  1. Light in color.
  2. Having a pallor (a light color, especially due to sickness, shock, fright etc.).


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: pale
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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