PALAVER

palaver, hot air, empty words, empty talk, rhetoric

(noun) loud and confused and empty talk; “mere rhetoric”

blandishment, cajolery, palaver

(noun) flattery intended to persuade

palaver

(verb) have a lengthy discussion, usually between people of different backgrounds

wheedle, cajole, palaver, blarney, coax, sweet-talk, inveigle

(verb) influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering; “He palavered her into going along”

chatter, piffle, palaver, prate, tittle-tattle, twaddle, clack, maunder, prattle, blab, gibber, tattle, blabber, gabble

(verb) speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

palaver (countable and uncountable, plural palavers)

(Africa) A village council meeting.

Talk, especially unnecessary talk; chatter.

Talk intended to deceive.

Fuss.

A meeting at which there is much talk; a debate; a moot.

(informal) Disagreement.

Synonyms

• (unnecessary talk): hot air, janglery; See also chatter

• (fuss): ado, bother; See also commotion

Verb

palaver (third-person singular simple present palavers, present participle palavering, simple past and past participle palavered)

To discuss with much talk.

To flatter.

Synonyms

• jabber, rabbit, yak; See also prattle

Source: Wiktionary


Pa*la"ver, n. Etym: [Sp. palabra, or Pg. palavra, fr. L. parabola a comparison, a parable, LL., a word. See Parable.]

1. Talk; conversation; esp., idle or beguiling talk; talk intended to deceive; flattery.

2. In Africa, a parley with the natives; a talk; hence, a public conference and deliberation; a debate. This epoch of parliaments and eloquent palavers. Carlyle.

Pa*la"ver, v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Palavered; p. pr. & vb. n. Palavering.]

Definition: To make palaver with, or to; to used palaver;to talk idly or deceitfully; to employ flattery; to cajole; as, to palaver artfully. Palavering the little language for her benefit. C. Bront

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

29 March 2025

THOUGHTLESS

(adjective) without care or thought for others; “the thoughtless saying of a great princess on being informed that the people had no bread; ‘Let them eat cake’”


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Coffee Trivia

According to Guinness World Records, the largest coffee shop is the Al Masaa Café, which has 1,050 seats. The coffee shop was inaugurated in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 13 August 2014.

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