A flat wooden platform with a handle that forklifts use to move heavy boxes, or a simple bed or mattress.
From Old French 'palet' meaning 'small shovel,' possibly from Latin 'pala' (shovel). The modern cargo-moving pallet became standard in the 20th century after World War II.
The standard pallet size (48x40 inches in North America) was designed during World War II for military supply lines and has barely changed since—it's one of the most influential unnoticed inventions because modern global trade literally runs on pallets stacked in shipping containers!
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