pastel

¹ American  

[pa-stel, pas-tl] / pæˈstɛl, ˈpæs tl /

noun

1. a color having a soft, subdued shade.

2. a kind of dried paste made of pigments ground with chalk and compounded with gum water.

3. a chalklike crayon made from such paste.

4. the art of drawing with such crayons.

5. a drawing so made.

6. a short, light prose study or sketch.

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adjective

1. having a soft, subdued shade.

2. drawn with pastels.

   a pastel portrait.

pastel ² American  

[pas-tel] / ˈpæs tɛl /

noun

1. the woad plant.

2. the dye made from it.

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pastel British  

/ pæˈstɛl, ˈpæstəl /

noun

1. 1. a substance made of ground pigment bound with gum, used for making sticks for drawing

   2. a crayon of this

   3. a drawing done in such crayons

2. the medium or technique of pastel drawing

3. a pale delicate colour

4. a light prose work, esp a poetic one

5. another name for woad

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adjective

1. (of a colour) pale; delicate

   pastel blue

Other Word Forms

• pastelist noun

Etymology

Origin of pastel¹

First recorded in 1610–20; from French, from Italian pastello, from Late Latin pastellus, variant of Latin pastillus pastille

Origin of pastel¹

First recorded in 1570–80; from Middle French pastel “woad,” from Provençal, from Medieval Latin pastellum (neuter) “woad” (originally “woad paste”), for Late Latin pastellus (masculine), diminutive of pasta paste

Example Sentences

He wears signature pastel- and highlighter-colored suits and sports baseball caps and sunglasses to host investor panels.

From Barron's

I squint to make out the pastel figure decorating the wallpaper behind him.

From Literature

A palette of pastel mint green and baby pink was showcased, with bejewelled satin trouser suits and sparkling evening gowns.

From BBC

When I got on a local bus the following morning, most of the other passengers were neatly groomed women wearing the pastel uniforms of housekeepers and nannies.

From The Wall Street Journal

We normally associate spring fashion with ditsy florals and calming pastels, but this season's runways were all about bold block colours.

From BBC

Related Words

• delicate