pall
Preserved but no longer current.
To stop; "PALL that," spoken authoritatively, means, cease what you are doing. From PALL, a small instrument which is used to stop the windlass or capstan at sea. When a man says, "I am PALLED," he means he cannot or dare not say any more. A sailor, on receiving any extraordinary intelligence, will say, "You PALL me," i.e., you confound me. Most likely from the order frequently given on board ship, "Ease and PALL."
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “pall” mean?
To stop; "PALL that," spoken authoritatively, means, cease what you are doing. From PALL, a small instrument which is used to stop the windlass or capstan at sea. When a man says, "I am PALLED," he means he cannot or dare not say any more. A sailor, on receiving any extraordinary intelligence, will say, "You PALL me," i.e., you confound me. Most likely from the order frequently given on board ship, "Ease and PALL."
Is “pall” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.