Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Perilous; dangerous.
- adjective Obsolete Dangerously cunning.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Perilous; dangerous; alarming; mischievous.
- Notable; knowing; shrewd.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Archaic Attended with peril; dangerous.
- adjective obsolete Venturesome; bold; mischievous; keen.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Attended with
peril ;dangerous ;risky . - adjective
Dire ,terrible ,appalling . - adjective obsolete Dangerously
clever orcunning . - adverb archaic Very,
extremely .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective fraught with danger
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Bain's legal representative, Nicholas Ellis, referred to "what might be described as the parlous financial state" of Rangers.
Rangers owner Craig Whyte could profit from threat of administration 2011
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It's in parlous condition, and it's filled with small, pilferable items, such as unopened letters and a rubber stamp that reads "I never answer letters, Ernest Hemingway."
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It's in parlous condition, and it's filled with small, pilferable items, such as unopened letters and a rubber stamp that reads "I never answer letters, Ernest Hemingway."
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It's in parlous condition, and it's filled with small, pilferable items, such as unopened letters and a rubber stamp that reads "I never answer letters, Ernest Hemingway."
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"Between our omnipresent legislatures which spend our time and money repealing what we lawyers already know, and enacting laws for the courts to set aside, these are what might be called parlous times for the profession, but my long suit is not in understanding statutes, but people."
An American Suffragette Isaac N. Stevens
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However, Labour's new general secretary, Ray Collins, has admitted its finances remain in a 'parlous' state.
Archive 2008-06-01 Not a sheep 2008
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However, Labour's new general secretary, Ray Collins, has admitted its finances remain in a 'parlous' state.
Is the Labour party insolvent? Not a sheep 2008
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He added that the country was in a "parlous" state and was experiencing many problems which were undermining freedom and democracy.
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He described the condition of the fleet as "parlous".
News 2009
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If there be any magnetism in isolated attention, any in steadfast gazing, any in passes of the hand hither and thither -- if there be any magic in _ce doux demi-jour_ so loved in France, in stuff for flattery ready pointed and feathered, in freedom of admiration, "and all in the way of business" -- then is a lovable sitter to a love-like painter in "parlous" vicinity (as the new school would phrase it) to sweet heart-land!
Stories by American Authors (Volume 4) Nathaniel Parker Willis 1875
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