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View synonyms for pastel

pastel

1

[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

2

[pas-tel]

noun

  1. the woad plant.

  2. the dye made from it.

pastel

/ pæˈstɛl, ˈpæstəl /

noun

    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

  1. the medium or technique of pastel drawing

  2. a pale delicate colour

  3. a light prose work, esp a poetic one

  4. another name for woad

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. (of a colour) pale; delicate

    pastel blue

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • pastelist noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of pastel1

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

Origin of pastel2

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
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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
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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Inside, dainty horse figurines painted in pastels peek out from nooks and crannies.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Many of her supplies were cindered, but she found some black charcoal paper and pastels and “started doing these bizarre drawings, like stream-of-consciousness stuff.”

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From here, the colors that become the focal point are bright, airy mixes of pastels, which highlight the beauty in all of our differences and ranges of knowledge.

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Matcha is painting the town green, but the iced matcha latte is the true social star — usually with oat or almond milk and some pastel pop of color, like strawberry or blueberry syrup.

Read more on Salon

The other sparkles with pastels and electric jewel tones.

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