pastel

¹

[pas-tel]

noun

1. the woad plant.

2. the dye made from it.

pastel

²

[pa-stel, pas-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.

adjective

1. having a soft, subdued shade.

2. drawn with pastels.

   a pastel portrait.

pastel

/ 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

adjective

1. (of a colour) pale; delicate

   pastel blue

Other Word Forms

• pastelist noun

Word History and Origins

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

Origin of pastel²

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of pastel¹

C17: via French from Italian pastello, from Late Latin pastellus woad compounded into a paste, diminutive of pasta _paste ¹

Example Sentences

Edward, in his all-black leather outfit with his wild hair, is a visual culture shock, especially in comparison to the pastel world of the burbs he moves into.

Read more on Salon

It moved from the famous pastel hotel facades of Miami's South Beach to the sprawling necklace of mansion apartments along Mumbai's Marine Drive seafront.

Read more on BBC

They were etherealized through delicate pastels, and while Brundage created images to appeal to the male gaze, she also could portray women as purposeful agents rather than passive victims.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

There’s a pastel Post-it note on it that reads: Since you like trying me, why don’t you try this on?

Read more on Literature

Beowulf packed up his sketch pad and pastel crayons; he was a talented artist and highly skilled at depicting each bird in all its beaked and feathered glory.

Read more on Literature

Related Words

• delicate