Parthian shot

noun

a sharp, telling remark, act, gesture, etc., made in departing.

Origin of Parthian shot

First recorded in 1900–05; so called from the ancient Parthian cavalry's habit of shooting arrows rearward at the enemy while in real or feigned flight

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

Related Words for parthian shot

answer, stratagem

British Dictionary definitions for parthian shot

Parthian shot

noun

another term for parting shot

Word Origin for Parthian shot

alluding to the custom of Parthian archers who shot their arrows backwards while retreating

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