Lexic.us

Definition of Parlous

1. Adjective. Fraught with danger. "Dangerous surgery followed by a touch-and-go recovery"

Definition of Parlous

1. a. Attended with peril; dangerous; as, a parlous cough.

Definition of Parlous

1. Adjective. Attended with peril; dangerous; risky. ¹

2. Adjective. Dire, terrible, appalling. ¹

3. Adjective. (obsolete) Dangerously clever or cunning. ¹

4. Adverb. (archaic) Very, extremely. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Parlous

1. dangerous [adj] - See also: dangerous

Lexicographical Neighbors of Parlous

Literary usage of Parlous

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. A Glossary of the Cleveland Dialect: Explanatory, Derivative, and Critical by John Christopher Atkinson (1868)
"parlous, adj. Perilous ; but used with the special or arbitrary senses of ... Aye, parlous. The standard Dan. word farlig corresponds as precisely with the ..."

2. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage by Inc. Merriam-Webster (1994)
"1982 But these were parlous times —John Brooks, New Yorker, 20 Aug. ... 1979 Yes, these are parlous times on Publishers Row — Ray Walters, NY Times Book ..."

3. The River of Golden Sand: The Narrative of a Journey Through China and by William John Gill, Henry Yule (1880)
"... and the ' parlous Fight' there— Yung-Chang-Fu—Difficulties about Transport—The ' Squeeze ' again —A General on the March—A Quarrel Imminent, ..."

Other Resources: