pasty

¹ American  

[pey-stee] / ˈpeɪ sti /

adjective

pastier, pastiest

1. of or like paste in consistency, texture, color, etc.

   Synonyms:

   sallow, wan, ashy, ashen, pale

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noun

pasties plural

1. pasties, a pair of small, cuplike coverings for the nipples of a stripper, nude model, etc.

pasty ² American  

[pas-tee] / ˈpæs ti /

noun

Chiefly British.

pasties plural

1. a pie filled with game, fish, or the like.

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pasty ¹ British  

/ ˈpeɪstɪ /

adjective

1. of or like the colour, texture, etc, of paste

2. (esp of the complexion) pale or unhealthy-looking

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noun

1. either one of a pair of small round coverings for the nipples used by striptease dancers

pasty ² British  

/ ˈpæstɪ /

noun

1. a round of pastry folded over a filling of meat, vegetables, etc

   Cornish pasty

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pastiness
  noun
• pastily
  adverb

Inflected Forms

noun

• pasties
  plural

Etymology

Origin of pasty¹

1650–60 pasty ¹ for def. 1; 1950–55 pasty ¹ for def. 2; paste + -y ¹ pasty ¹ ( for def. 1 ), -y ² pasty ¹ ( for def. 2 )

Origin of pasty²

1250–1300; Middle English pastee < Middle French. See pâté

Example Sentences

Worse, that show transformed high fantasy’s most magnificent beasts into little more than pimped-out rides for pasty dictators.

From Salon • Jan. 17, 2026

And, of course, the town still cherishes and serves up the pasty.

From New York Times • Apr. 8, 2024

In a large bowl, mash the rice with a fork until smooth and pasty.

From Washington Times • Sep. 27, 2023

When the sun shines, families hurry around in search of ice cream, cars squeeze past pedestrians on narrow lanes and people dodge greedy seagulls that are eager to snap up any pasty left briefly unattended.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2023

A girl with a round pasty face and short black hair was sitting in an armchair, reading a magazine.

From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath