palaver
[ puh-lav-er, ‐lah-ver ]
/ pəˈlæv ər, ‐ˈlɑ vər /
noun
verb (used without object), pa·lav·ered, pa·lav·er·ing.
to talk profusely and idly.
to parley or confer.
verb (used with object), pa·lav·ered, pa·lav·er·ing.
to cajole or persuade.
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Origin of palaver
First recorded in 1710–20 (for the verb); from Portuguese palavra “word, speech, talk,” from Late Latin parabola parable
OTHER WORDS FROM palaver
pa·lav·er·er, pa·lav·er·ist, nounpa·lav·er·ment, nounpa·lav·er·ous, adjectiveWords nearby palaver
palatoplegia, palatorrhaphy, palatoschisis, palatum, Palau, palaver, Palawan, palazzo, palazzo pants, pale, palea
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for palaver
British Dictionary definitions for palaver
palaver
/ (pəˈlɑːvə) /
noun
verb
Word Origin for palaver
C18: from Portuguese palavra talk, from Latin parabola parable
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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