parley
[pahr-lee]
- a discussion or conference.
- an informal conference between enemies under a truce, especially to discuss terms, conditions of surrender, etc.
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- to hold an informal conference with an enemy under a truce, as between active hostilities.
- to speak, talk, or confer.
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Origin of parley
1400–50; late Middle English parlai < Middle French parlee, noun use of feminine of parle, past participle of parler to parle
Synonyms
See more synonyms for parley on Thesaurus.com1. talk, conversation. 4. discuss, converse.
Parley
[pahr-lee]
- Peter, pen name of Samuel Griswald Goodrich.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for parley
Contemporary Examples
Not that the Colombian parley was ever going to be easy diplomacy.
Historical Examples
To begin with, Mrs Merdle is the lady you had the parley with at what's-his-name place.'
Little DorritCharles Dickens
Each door and barrier, too, was guarded by soldiers, with whom the brothers had to parley.
The Three Cities Trilogy, CompleteEmile Zola
Do you two get on as fast as you can and leave us to the parley.
The House Under the SeaSir Max Pemberton
Don't you be listening to a woman's parley, for it's all nonsense.
The House Under the SeaSir Max Pemberton
The servant, after some parley, led him through the house and out at the back door.
England, Picturesque and DescriptiveJoel Cook
parley
- a discussion, esp between enemies under a truce to decide terms of surrender, etc
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- (intr) to discuss, esp with an enemy under a truce
- (tr) to speak (a foreign language)
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Word Origin
C16: from French, from parler to talk, from Medieval Latin parabolāre, from Late Latin parabola speech, parable
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for parley
n.
"conference, speech," especially with an enemy, mid-15c., from Middle French parlée, from fem. past participle of Old French parler "to speak" (11c.), from Vulgar Latin *paraulare, from Late Latin parabolare "to speak (in parables)," from parabola "speech, discourse," from Latin parabola "comparison" (see parable).
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v.
late 14c., "to speak, talk, confer," probably a separate borrowing of Old French parler "to speak" (see parley (n.)). Related: Parleyed; parleying. Meaning "to discuss terms" is 1560s, from the noun.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper