palaver Hear it!

palaver Definition

pa·laver (pə lavər)

noun

  1. a conference or discussion, as orig. between African natives and European explorers or traders
  2. talk; esp., idle chatter
  3. flattery; cajolery

Etymology: Port palavra, a word, speech < LL(Ec) parabola, parable

intransitive verb

  1. to talk, esp. idly or flatteringly
  2. to confer

transitive verb

to flatter or wheedle

palaver Synonyms

palaver

n.

palaver Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • have: Businesses, of course, don't have this palaver to go through.
  • hold: Here they kindled a flashlight and held a long palaver as to what was to be done with the prisoners.

Adjective modifier

  • whole: Phundria senses that much of the whole PC palaver just might have been a thorough waste of time.
  • usual: Then there was the usual palaver about what people voted for in 1975.
  • long: Here they kindled a flashlight and held a long palaver as to what was to be done with the prisoners.

Noun used with modifier

woman: A more sophisticated, but equally threatening, strategy was to create " woman palaver " in the warri one wished to displace.

Browse dictionary entries near palaver

  1. Palau
  2. palatine
  3. Palatinate
  4. palatial
  5. palate
  6. palatalize
  7. palatal
  8. palatable
  9. palanquin
  10. palaestra
  1. Palawan
  2. palazzo
  3. palazzos
  4. pale
  5. pale dry
  6. pale-
  7. palea
  8. Palearctic
  9. paleethnology
  10. paleface