parlor

American  

[pahr-ler] / ˈpɑr lər /

especially British, parlour

noun

1. Older Use. a room for the reception and entertainment of visitors to one's home; living room.

2. a room, apartment, or building serving as a place of business for certain businesses or professions.

   funeral parlor; beauty parlor.

3. a somewhat private room in a hotel, club, or the like for relaxation, conversation, etc.; lounge.

4. Also called locutorium.  a room in a monastery or the like where the inhabitants may converse with visitors or with each other.

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adjective

1. advocating something, as a political view or doctrine, at a safe remove from actual involvement in or commitment to action.

   parlor leftism; parlor pink.

Etymology

Origin of parlor

1175–1225; Middle English parlur < Anglo-French; Old French parleor, equivalent to parl ( er ) to speak ( parle ) + -eor -or ²

Example Sentences

Don't call it the "Marty Supreme" effect: table tennis is a growing sport in the United States, in part because of a new professional league giving the parlor game an ultra-competitive edge.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

Noticing patterns, he placed his first stock trade the following year in a bucket shop—more a gambling parlor than a brokerage.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

“Accessing the parlor level, Carrara marble stairs rise with mahogany bannisters, reinforced at the landings with wrought iron bars that provide both safety and beauty—an architectural detail that reflects the craftsmanship carried throughout the home.”

From MarketWatch • Nov. 26, 2025

The fact that it was a parlor game, not pointillism, that inspired the lyric is proof of Sondheim’s credo that “playful doesn’t mean trivial any more than solemn means serious.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

There was a crash of broken crockery in the parlor, as if a tea tray had been upended.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

• drawing room
• living room
• lounge
• salon