Palette
/ˈpæl.ɪt/noun
A thin board or slab used by artists for mixing paint, or a range of colors.
Did you know?Palette comes through French from Latin pala, meaning a shovel or spade, so the word for mixing color began as an everyday tool for digging and scooping.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
pala
“a shovel, spade, or scoop”
Old French
OF
palette
“a small shovel or spade”
Middle English
English
palette
“a small flat board for an artist to mix paints on”
Modern English
English
palette
“an artist’s mixing board; by extension, a range of colors”