palaver

[puh-lav-er, ‐lah-ver]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR palaver ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a conference or discussion.

a long parley, especially one between primitive natives and European traders, explorers, colonial officials, etc.

profuse and idle talk; chatter.

persuasive talk; flattery; cajolery.

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.

Origin of palaver

1720–30; < Portuguese palavra word, speech, talk < Late Latin parabola parable

Related formspa·lav·er·er, pa·lav·er·ist, nounpa·lav·er·ment, nounpa·lav·er·ous, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for palaverous

chatty, loquacious, rambling, superfluous, unnecessary, lengthy, long-winded, turgid, meandering, loose, long, lavish, dull, waffling, bombastic, gabby, garrulous, prolix, talkative, verbose

British Dictionary definitions for palaverous

palaver

noun

tedious or time-consuming business, esp when of a formal natureall the palaver of filling in forms

loud and confused talk and activity; hubbub

(often used humorously) a conference

rare talk intended to flatter or persuade

Western African

an argument
trouble arising from an argument

verb

(intr) (often used humorously) to have a conference

(intr) to talk loudly and confusedly

(tr) to flatter or cajole

Word Origin for palaver

C18: from Portuguese palavra talk, from Latin parabola parable

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for palaverous

palaver

1733 (implied in palavering), "talk, conference, discussion," sailors' slang, from Portuguese palavra "word, speech, talk," traders' term for "negotiating with the natives" in West Africa, metathesis of Late Latin parabola "speech, discourse," from Latin parabola "comparison" (see parable). Meaning "idle talk" first recorded 1748. The verb is 1733, from the noun. Related: Palavering.