pallet

1 of 2

noun (1)

pal·​let ˈpa-lət 

1

: a portable platform for handling, storing, or moving materials and packages (as in warehouses, factories, or vehicles)

2

: a wooden flat-bladed instrument

3

: a lever or surface in a timepiece that receives an impulse from the escapement wheel and imparts motion to a balance or pendulum

pallet

2 of 2

noun (2)

1

: a straw-filled tick or mattress

2

: a small, hard, or temporary bed

Examples of pallet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Showing the breadth of design, Bettie Haute Couture’s capsule focused on precise tailoring which disrupted proportions in a rich pallet of fawns, creams, and beige. —Gemma A. Williams, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025

The drop-off also does not accept any pallets, boards, nails, fences, wire, bricks, stones or soil. —Kaycee Sloan, The Enquirer, 23 Dec. 2024

During live burn training sessions, a bin is loaded with pallets and straw and then set on fire. —Janice Phelan, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2025

At least 20 people either drowned trying to retrieve the aid or were killed when pallets landed on them, according to Gaza health authorities. —Jane Arraf, NPR, 14 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle French palette, literally, small shovel — more at palette

Noun (2)

Middle English paillet, from Anglo-French paillete bundle of straw, from paille straw, from Latin palea chaff, straw; akin to Sanskrit palāva chaff

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pallet

• alate
• ballot
• fallot
• mallet
• palate
• palette
• shallot

Kids Definition

pallet

noun

pal·​let

ˈpal-ət

1

: a straw-filled mattress

2

: a small, hard, or temporary bed