Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Of or relating to Parthia or its people, language, or culture.
  • adjective Delivered in or as if in retreat.
  • noun A native or inhabitant of Parthia.
  • noun The Iranian language of the Parthians.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Of or pertaining to Parthia, an ancient region in Persia, which from the third century b. c. to the third century a. d. formed the nucleus of an important Asiatic kingdom.
  • noun A native or an inhabitant of Parthia.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Of or pertaining to ancient Parthia, in Asia.
  • adjective an arrow discharged at an enemy when retreating from him, as was the custom of the ancient Parthians; hence, a parting shot.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Relating to Parthia or Parthians.
  • adjective Delivered as if in retreat. (An allusion to the Parthian battle tactic of firing arrows backwards from horseback while apparently in retreat.)
  • noun A native or inhabitant of Parthia.
  • noun An extinct Western Iranian language that was spoken in Parthia.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective pertaining to Parthia or its people or language or culture
  • noun a native or inhabitant of Parthia
  • noun the Iranian language spoken in the Parthian kingdom (250 BC to AD 226)

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Parthia +‎ -an.

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