PAL

¹

[ pal ]

noun

1. a special air service offered by the U.S. Postal Service for sending parcels from 5 to 30 pounds (2.3 to 13.5 kilograms) to overseas members of the armed forces: only the regular parcel post rate to the U.S. port of shipment plus $1 is charged.

PAL

²

or P.A.L.

abbreviation for

1. Police Athletic League.

pal

³

[ pal ]

noun

1. a friend or close associate; chum; comrade.
2. an accomplice ( def ).

verb (used without object)

, palled, pal·ling.

1. to associate as comrades or chums:

   to pal around with the kid next door.

pal.

⁴

abbreviation for

1. paleography.
2. paleontology.

Pal.

⁵

abbreviation for

1. Palestine.

PAL

¹

/ pæl /

acronym for

1. phase alternation line: a colour-television broadcasting system used generally in Europe

pal

²

/ pæl /

noun

1. a close friend; comrade
2. an accomplice

verb

1. intr; usually foll by with or about to associate as friends

Pal.

³

abbreviation for

1. Palestine

Word History and Origins

Origin of PAL¹

P(arcel) A(ir) L(ift)

Origin of PAL²

First recorded in 1675–85; English Romani: “brother, mate,” variant of continental Romani phral, ultimately from Sanskrit bhrātṛ “brother”; brother

Word History and Origins

Origin of PAL¹

C17: from English Gypsy: brother, ultimately from Sanskrit bhrātar brother

Example Sentences

Results of the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening, known as PALS, showed that the percentage of kindergartners, first-graders and second-graders meeting literacy benchmarks dropped slightly, by single-digits, for every age group.

From Washington Post

Know your goalEvery communication or message, from talking to your pal on the phone to addressing the nation on national television, has an objective.

From Popular-Science

You can let the person stay relatively dark— but allow the clouds to shine—or you can properly expose your pal, and have the sky get blown out and lose most of its color and detail.

From Popular-Science

So she started an Instagram account, offering to connect potential pen pals.

From MIT Technology Review

Perhaps best of all, this scooter comes with a carrying strap so you can stay handsfree, or carry coffee for you and a pal without leaving your new favorite mode of transportation behind.

From Popular-Science

And back in February, he lost a close pal in Philip Seymour Hoffman.

From The Daily Beast

Grant's pal Howard Hughes offered to fly them back to Los Angeles in his private plane.

From The Daily Beast

A few weeks later, Valentino and her pal, an aspiring actress named Meg Foster, met Cosby again at Café Figaro.

From The Daily Beast

And your pal Laura Dern recently said you were “cooking up” your next one.

From The Daily Beast

You can up the ante even more by signing a contract agreeing to pay a pal $20 every time you skip Pilates.

From The Daily Beast

With horror she had heard her brother addressed by a disreputable costermonger in a mangy fur cap, as "Old pal."

From Project Gutenberg

But she was an exquisitely pretty and engaging little thing, a grand little pal, and worth cultivating.

From Project Gutenberg

If I felt that I could leave her in your charge, all on the square, as a real straight pal—I should go away happy.

From Project Gutenberg

They must have found out their pal here was going to sing and figured he probably told us too much already.

From Project Gutenberg

When Phil's pal left us he went wandering down the hillside, talking to himself.

From Project Gutenberg