pastel
pronunciation
How to pronounce pastel in British English:
UK [ˈpæstl]
How to pronounce pastel in American English:
US [pæˈstel]
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- Noun:
- any of various pale or light colors
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- Adjective:
- lacking in body or vigor
- delicate and pale in color
Word Origin
- pastel (n.)
- 1660s, "crayons, chalk-like pigment used in crayons," from French pastel "crayon," from Italian pastello "a pastel," literally "material reduced to a paste," from Late Latin pastellus "dye from the leaves of the woad plant," diminutive of pasta (see pasta). Meaning "pale or light color" (like that of pastels) first recorded 1899. As an adjective from 1884.
Example
- 1. Soft pastel natural colors are the true reflection of the beauty of these petite flower girls .
- 2. The pastel colors and high ceilings inside the gagra cinema are reminiscent of pre-castro cuba , and are a reminder that gagra was a tropical destination for russian visitors .
- 3. Bernal heights natural area , a 24-acre knob of red franciscan chert that rises from a sea of colorful row houses like the prow of a ship , has a 360-degree view of san francisco in its pastel glory .