Standard Lemma guide

paleface

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A white person, a person of European descent, particularly in Native American contexts.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: derogatory, ethnic, offensive, slur

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: abelungu, ang moh, Angrez, balanda, béké, bule, cac, Caucasian, cornstarch crusader, cracker, cumskin, Eurangutan, European, farang, firangi, gringo, gora, gussuk, gweilo, haole, honky, hoogie, hoojah, ice monkey, ivory, joganosh, kabloona, laowai, leucoderm, mayo, mayo monkey, mayonnaise face, melanin-challenged, migaloo, mlungu, mzungu, ofay, oyinbo, paddy, Pakeha, paleface, pigskin, pinky, roundeye, saltine, snow bunny, snow roach, toubab, umlungu, vazaha, vanilla, wadjela, white, whiteboy, white bread, white devil, whiteface, white man, whitey, Whitoid, wigger, wonderbread, Yankee

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Alternative letter-case form of paleface.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

(slang) a derogatory term for a white person (supposedly used by North American Indians)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: White, White person, Caucasian

History

Etymology

From pale + face, a supposed calque from a Native American language. First appears in print c. 1797.

Across languages

Translations

17 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: սպիտակամորթ (spitakamortʻ) — a white person of European descent, in the context of American Indians
  • Bulgarian: бледолик (bledolik) — a white person of European descent, in the context of American Indians
  • Czech: bledá tvář — a white person of European descent, in the context of American Indians
  • Danish: blegansigt — a white person of European descent, in the context of American Indians
  • Dutch: bleekgezicht — a white person of European descent, in the context of American Indians
  • Estonian: kahvanägu — a white person of European descent, in the context of American Indians
  • Finnish: kalpeanaama — a white person of European descent, in the context of American Indians
  • French: visage pâle — a white person of European descent, in the context of American Indians
  • German: Bleichgesicht — a white person of European descent, in the context of American Indians
  • Greek: χλωμό πρόσωπο (chlomó prósopo) — a white person of European descent, in the context of American Indians
  • Hungarian: sápadtarcú — a white person of European descent, in the context of American Indians
  • Italian: viso pallido — a white person of European descent, in the context of American Indians
  • Polish: blada twarz — a white person of European descent, in the context of American Indians
  • Portuguese: cara-pálida — a white person of European descent, in the context of American Indians
  • Russian: бледноли́цый (blednolícyj) — a white person of European descent, in the context of American Indians
  • Swedish: blekansikte — a white person of European descent, in the context of American Indians
  • Ukrainian: блідоли́ций (blidolýcyj) — a white person of European descent, in the context of American Indians