Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A lover, especially one in an adulterous relationship.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- With love; in love; as a lover.
- n. A lover, of either sex; a wooer.
- n. A lover, of either sex, in a bad sense; one who takes the place of a husband or wife without legal right: the only sense of the word now in use.
- n. Love, as between the sexes; gallantry.
- To love; be in love with; woo.
Wiktionary
- adv. Of loving etc.: passionately, out of sexual desire; devotedly. [from 14th c.]
- n. An illicit lover, either male or female.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. A lover, of either sex; a wooer or a mistress (formerly in a good sense, now only in a bad one); one who takes the place, without possessing the rights, of a husband or wife; -- used of a man or a woman.
- n. Love; gallantry.
- adv. By or with love, esp. the love of the sexes; -- sometimes written as two words.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a woman who cohabits with an important man
- n. a woman's lover
Etymologies
- Middle English, from par amour, by way of love, passionately, from Anglo-Norman : par, by (from Latin per; see per1 in Indo-European roots) + amour, love (from Latin amor, from amāre, to love).
Examples
“We also heard it had been rented or owned by William Randolph Hearst for his long-term paramour, Marion Davies.”
“In “Beauty and the Beast” or “The Frog Prince,” the animal paramour is an enchanted human, so by means of a deus ex machina, the beast becomes a prince.”
“He talked the Luciano gang into backing him in building his dream casino, The Flamingo, the nickname he called his paramour Virginia Hill.”
“You need to get over yourself, learn some humility, and then you need to move on. p.s.: a nut bag is something entirely different than you think and stop using the word paramour, it makes you sound like an arrogant donkey.”
“PPPlleassseee. e ... give me a break with this phony ness and go hang out with your 'paramour' - about whom you want to brag to Maria but Maria is not interested!!”
“• Ultimately giving the money from his wife and children's accounts to himself and his "paramour" -- including using the money to pay for a credit card he and his girlfriend used.”
“Isn't that what the guy busted for sex with a vacuum called his paramour?”
“To top it all off, his paramour was a part-time staffer who was on the payroll and often traveled with Souder.”
“If her paramour is a Gond, Rawat, Binjhwar or Kawar, he is allowed to become a Dhanwar and marry her on giving several feasts, the exact number being fixed by the village Baiga or priest in a _panchayat_ or committee.”
The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India Volume II
“_ Who has an account to demand then -- you, whose life is already forfeit for an accumulation of crimes; you, screened by a conspiracy of bribed servants and ... your best friend's wife, as you dare call your paramour; or I, in my brother's absence the natural guardian of his family, of his honour?”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘paramour’.
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4084 more...
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January 2012
bloviate, pastiche, apparat, facile, paroxysm, pique, bedfellow, pedigree, tutelage, protege, protégé, retroactive and 196 more...
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Dash's list
Words of interest.
cacogen, fricatrice, destrier, swoon, multiverse, haggard, entranced, entheogen, passionate, ascendant, conciliator, bandylegged and 34 more...
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Baltimorese
Words, phrases, and peculiar pronunciations favored by Baltimore locals (Baltimorons).
baltimoron, cigrette, warsh, bawlmer, merryland, wooder, fahr, arhn, tarred, zinc, arnjoos, leginament and 21 more...
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My daily Wordsheets
paramour, flail, addle, adduce, adduction, adenitis, adenocarcinoma, adhocracy, adiabatic, adipocyte, adiposity, postpone and 25 more...
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Hearticulating
All sorts of names or terms for romantic partners: vague, clinical, physical, sleazy, cheesy, co-dependent, demeaning, sarcastic, or the dutifully committed. This is to provide a wide-range of le...
couple, partner, lover, sweetheart, significant other, confidant, consort, mate, better half, paramour, accomplice, counterpart and 52 more...
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Good Boat Names
What's in a boat name?

milosrdenstvi Baltimorese for "power mower" Jan 3, 2011
thesaraheffect "Should I believe that unsubstantial Death is amorous? And that the lean abhorred monster keeps Thee here in darkness to be his paramour?"
--R&J Act 5 Scene 3 Sep 18, 2009