parlor

1 of 2

noun

par·​lor ˈpär-lər 

1

: a room used primarily for conversation or the reception of guests: such as

a

: a room in a private dwelling for the entertainment of guests

b

: a conference chamber or private reception room

c

: a room in an inn, hotel, or club for conversation or semiprivate uses

2

: any of various business places

a funeral parlor

a beauty parlor

parlor

2 of 2

adjective

1

: used in or suitable for a parlor

parlor furniture

2

a

: fostered or advocated in comfortable seclusion without consequent action or application to affairs

parlor bolshevism

b

: given to or characterized by fostering or advocating something (such as a doctrine) in such a manner

parlor socialist

Synonyms of parlor

Noun

• place
• facility
• establishment

Examples of parlor in a Sentence

Noun

an ice cream parlor with an old-timey theme

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Heading into last week’s Federal Reserve meeting, Wall Street’s favored betting parlor — the Fed funds futures market — put two-thirds odds that the central bank would hold rates steady. — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 6 Aug. 2026

The Arthur House parlor is already open to the public for drinks and dining, and features a pump organ that guests can play. — Dakota Kim, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026

European clients ordered the domestic panorama in custom sizes for the parlor and hung twenty-two arrangeable panels of distant islands and homogenized races draped in foliage and Neoclassical dress—the first garden, before knowing arrived. — Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026

Thirty-five square blocks of hotels, law offices, theaters, and beauty parlors built entirely through referrals, introductions, and relationships passed between people who trusted each other. — Jasmine Browley, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English parlour, parlur "room off a hall set aside for private conversation, room (as in a monastery) where speech is permitted," borrowed from Anglo-French parlur, parlour, from parler "to speak, talk" + -ur, -or (continental Old French -oir), going back to Latin -ōrius -ory entry 1 — more at parley entry 2

Adjective

from attributive use of parlor entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing parlor

• front parlor
• massage parlor
• parlor car
• parlor game
• parlor grand
• parlor trick
• tattoo parlor

Rhymes for parlor

• parlour

Kids Definition

parlor

noun

par·​lor

ˈpär-lər

1

: a room in a home, hotel, or club used for conversation or the reception of guests

2

: any of various business places

funeral parlor

beauty parlor

Etymology

Noun

Middle English parlour "a room for receiving and talking with guests," from early French parlour (same meaning), from parler "to speak" — related to parley, parliament

Word Origin

In some monasteries during the Middle Ages, monks were not allowed to speak except when they were in a special room. Such a room was known in early French as a parlour. The word parlour comes from the French verb parler, which means "to speak." In the 13th century, parlour was borrowed into English as parlor. Eventually it acquired the meaning that it has today. Other English words that can be traced to the verb parler include parley and parliament.