Word of the Day

: November 1, 2008

parry

verb PAIR-ee

What It Means

1 : to ward off a weapon or blow

2 : to evade especially by an adroit answer

parry in Context

The senator effectively parried all Beverly's questions about his dubious financial affairs.

Did You Know?

"Parry" (which is used in fencing, among other applications) probably comes from "parez," a form of the French verb "parer," meaning "to guard or ward off." Its history can be compared with that of two other English words: "parapet" and "parasol." Those two terms go back to an Italian word ("parare") that means "to shield or guard." (A parapet shields soldiers and a parasol wards off the sun.) All three -- "parry," "parapet," and "parasol" -- can ultimately be traced to the Latin "parare," meaning "to prepare." And they're not alone. Other descendants of the Latin term include "apparatus," "disparate," "emperor," and even "prepare."