# palace

Pronunciation: say "PAL-is" /ˈpæl.ɪs/

## Noun

1. The official residence of a head of state or other high dignitary, especially in a monarchy or empire.
   - Simple: The official home of a king, queen, president, or other leader of a country.
   - _The president received foreign ambassadors at the presidential palace downtown._
   - _The emperor rarely left the palace except for state ceremonies and processions._
2. A very large, lavishly ornate residence; any home built on a grand and luxurious scale.
   - Simple: A very big, grand house with rich, beautiful decoration.
   - _The oil tycoon's hillside palace had forty rooms and an indoor waterfall._
   - _She auctioned off the marble palace her grandfather had built overlooking the bay._
3. A large and richly decorated public building where entertainment is staged or exhibitions are held.
   - Simple: A big, fancy public building where people go for shows, dancing, or exhibitions.
   - _The restored palace on Fifth Street now hosts concerts and traveling art exhibitions._
   - _Thousands attended the winter flower show at the great glass palace in the park._

## Verb

4. To decorate or adorn in an ornate fashion. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: To decorate something in a rich, fancy way.
   - _The duke spared no expense to palace his banquet hall for the royal visit._
   - _Craftsmen palaced the chapel ceiling with gilded carvings and painted stars._

## Origin

It comes from Middle English paleys, from Old French palais, from Latin palātium, which referred to the Palatine Hill in Rome: one of the city's seven hills, where the Roman aristocracy and later the emperors built large, splendid houses. The name is ultimately from either Etruscan (the source of Pales, the Italic goddess of shepherds and flocks) or Latin palus ("stake; enclosure").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/palace (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).