PARRY

counterpunch, parry, counter

(noun) a return punch (especially by a boxer)

parry

(noun) (fencing) blocking a lunge or deflecting it with a circular motion of the sword

hedge, fudge, evade, put off, circumvent, parry, elude, skirt, dodge, duck, sidestep

(verb) avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues); “He dodged the issue”; “she skirted the problem”; “They tend to evade their responsibilities”; “he evaded the questions skillfully”

parry, block, deflect

(verb) impede the movement of (an opponent or a ball); “block an attack”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Verb

parry (third-person singular simple present parries, present participle parrying, simple past and past participle parried)

To avoid, deflect, or ward off (an attack, a blow, an argument, etc.).

Noun

parry (plural parries)

A defensive or deflective action; an act of parrying.

(fencing) A simple defensive action designed to deflect an attack, performed with the forte of the blade.

(combat sports and martial arts) A defensive move intended to change the direction of an incoming strike to make it miss its intended target, rather than block and absorb it; and typically performed with an open hand in a downward or sideways slapping motion.

Anagrams

• pray'r

Etymology

Proper noun

Parry

A surname.

Anagrams

• pray'r

Source: Wiktionary


Par"ry, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Parried; p. pr. & vb. n. Parrying.] Etym: [F. paré, p. p. of parer. See Pare, v. t.]

1. To ward off; to stop, or to turn aside; as, to parry a thrust, a blow, or anything that means or threatens harm. Locke. Vice parries wide The undreaded volley with a sword of straw. Cowper.

2. To avoid; to shift or put off; to evade. The French government has parried the payment of our claims. E. Everett.

Par"ry, v. i.

Definition: To ward off, evade, or turn aside something, as a blow, argument, etc. Locke.

Par"ry, n.; pl. Parries (.

Definition: A warding off of a thrust or blow, as in sword and bayonet exercises or in boxing; hence, figuratively, a defensive movement in debate or other intellectual encounter.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

8 May 2025

INSULATION

(noun) the act of protecting something by surrounding it with material that reduces or prevents the transmission of sound or heat or electricity


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Coffee Trivia

The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America. The hefty tea tax imposed on the colonies in 1773 resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. In the lead up to the Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to sip java instead of tea. The Civil War made the drink more pervasive. Coffee helped energize tired troops, and drinking it became an expression of freedom.

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