paling

[pey-ling]

noun

1. Also called paling fence. picket fence.

2. a pale or picket for a fence.

3. pales pale collectively.

4. the act of building a fence with pales. pale.

paling

/ ˈpeɪlɪŋ /

noun

1. a fence made of pales

2. pales collectively

3. a single pale

4. the act of erecting pales

Word History and Origins

Origin of paling¹

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; pale ², -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Even Marvel has recently seen lower box office results for its films — despite critical praise, “Thunderbolts*” grossed about $382 million worldwide on a budget of $180 million, paling in comparison to past films.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He looked at Anya, face paling, then back at the torchbearer.

Read more on Literature

What, you might ask, prompted this remark from the paling former personality?

Read more on Salon

No medicine is risk-free, but complications are rare and most are not serious, paling in comparison with the potential harm caused by Covid, even to younger people.

Read more on BBC

I absolutely must go in by myself, though I hate being stuck up in the barouche-landau without a companion; but Augusta, I believe, with her own good-will, would never stir beyond the park paling.’

Read more on Literature

Related Words

• bar 
• barbed wire 
• barricade 
• block 
• dike 
• net 
• rail 
• railing 
• roadblock 
• wall