Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. Chiefly British Variant of parlor.
Wiktionary
- n. A room for talking, especially the room in a monastery or convent where residents can talk with visitors.
- n. dated The living room of a house, or a room for entertaining guests.
- n. archaic A comfortable room in a public house.
- n. A shop or other business selling goods specified by context.
- n. A shed used for milking cattle.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. Same as parlor.
- n. A room in an inn or club where visitors can be received.
WordNet 3.0
- n. reception room in an inn or club where visitors can be received
- n. a room in a private house or establishment where people can sit and talk and relax
Etymologies
- From Anglo-Norman parlur and Old French parleor, from the verb parler ("to speak"). (Wiktionary)
Examples
“Above this parlour is a small room, whose low ceiling is supported by beams, which was, in all probability, Madame de Broglie's bedroom.”
“This morning there has been a great deal of company here; but at the time appointed by Lord Orville, doubtless with that consideration, the parlour is almost always empty, as every body is dressing.”
Evelina: or, The History of a Young Lady's Entrance Into the World
“[Page 41] "Uppercross" the old-fashioned parlour is spoken of "with a small carpet and shining floor, to which the present daughters of the house were giving the proper air of confusion by a grand piano and a harp.”
“Awful red!" replied his mother -- "and they call their parlour a saloon.”
“In one, which I think they call his parlour, is a very antique cupboard; where, it is supposed, he deposited some precious part of his literary treasure.”
“The parlour is wanscoated and painted a Cedar Coullour.”
Through England on a Side Saddle in the Time of William and Mary
“/[Page 394] /parlour is new-papered and painted, it should be done properly, and proper painting takes a prodigious time; but I will see somebody to-morrow, to speak at least concerning the outside.”
“There seldom passed much talk between them; Linton learnt his lessons and spent his evenings in a small apartment they called the parlour; or else lay in bed all day; for he was constantly getting coughs, and colds, and aches, and pains of some sort.”
“There seldom passed much talk between them: Linton learnt his lessons and spent his evenings in a small apartment they called the parlour: or else lay in bed all day: for he was constantly getting coughs, and colds, and aches, and pains of some sort.”
“On the other hand, if you don't know the origins of the phrase "burning the candle at both ends" or why a parlour is called a parlour it's from the French parler, a place to talk then this will tell you in perfectly sprightly fashion.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘parlour’.
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UK Usage - Find US Equivalent
All these terms have a (different) American English equivalent. Wonder if you can identify them?
abridgement (abri..., accoutrement, accoutre, acknowledgement (..., opposite, advert, adaptor, adapter, sticking plaster, advertise, adviser (advisor ..., adze, aesthete and 1196 more...
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Wuthering Heights
Obscure classic English words in Wuthering Heights you barely understand till you check the dictionary out.
conjecture, tenant, sinewy, peevish, pious, advent, tumult, parlour, villanous, stalwart, soliloquise, gaiters and 6 more...
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thegirlnextfloor's list
autumnal, avalanche, silhouette, antique, abysmal, scorch, sonic, surge, symmetry, whisper, penchant, dissipate and 349 more...
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Words Covered in Faery Dust (P)
words that evoke magic, mystery, mayhem, magnificence or anything else that glimmers in the grass
pagan, page, pageant, pageboy, pagoda, paisley, paladin, palfrey, paling, pampas grass, pan, panoply and 194 more...
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rosemilk's favourites
skullduggery, azure, topaz, onyx, lollygag, porcelain, darling, precious, pennyroyal, automaton, bejewelled, rococo and 69 more...
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Architecture
awning, bay, bulwark, molding, mullioned, plinth, lintel, pergola, trellis, scaffold, bower, messuage and 14 more...
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2 BDRM W/ VU
Rooms in a house.
living room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, den, rec room, garage, basement, attic, water closet, cellar and 29 more...
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misleading - confusing - deceptive
downright annoying
sensuous, sensual, genial, salon, saloon, parlour, ingenuous, cattle, kettle, wafer, wafel, sensual and 15 more...
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first list
made at work 12/21/2006.
skein, lucent, evening, amygdala, echo, clasp, grey, wrist, sibilance, picnic, parlour, marsupial and 9 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for parlour.
Prolagus See all the Night Owls when they gather 'neath the neon lights
They've been sleeping all day long, now they come alive
See all the Night Owls when they gather, dressed up to the nines
They're out to party and they'll keep it going 'til the morning light
Blue-eyed boy is taking Cinderella for a ride
Promising a glimpse of paradise
"Come into my parlour"
says the spider to the fly
"We'll fake the game of passion
and ward off all the nonsense in our lives".
(Night owls, by Vaya con Dios)
(Sorry if the quote is so long, I just wanted to give a context) Jun 24, 2008