parley

plural parleys

1. countableuncountableA conference, especially one between enemies.

   We yield on parley, but are stormed in vain.

   1675, John Dryden, Aureng-zebe: A Tragedy. […], London: […] T[homas] N[ewcomb] for Henry Herringman, […], published 1676, →OCLC, (please specify the page number)

   2 more examples

   Without further parley Garland rode off up the hog's-back and the sheriff rode off down it [...]

   1920, Peter B. Kyne, chapter IV, in The Understanding Heart

   In the highest-level parley of leaders of the two countries since the accident, President Obama is to meet with Pakistan’s prime minister, Yousaf Raza Gilani, on Tuesday in Seoul, South Korea, after a nuclear security conference there, to discuss Afghanistan and other security issues.

   2012 March 24, Eric Schmitt, “U.S. Plans No Charges Over Deadly Strike in Pakistan”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

present singular third person parleys · participle present parleying · participle past parleyed · past parleyed · alternative parlay

1. intransitiveTo have a discussion, especially one between enemies.

   Jack "parlayed" with them until he had completed his task, and then he closed the gate in their faces.

   1865, “Tom the Giant—His Wife Jane, and Jack the Tinkeard, as Told by the ‘Drolls’”, in Robert Hunt, editor, Popular Romances of the West of England; or, The Drolls, Traditions, and Superstitions of Old Cornwall (First Series), London: John Camden Hotten, […], →OCLC, page 45

   3 more examples

   [...] at day break we found the villaine, who, loath to parlee in fire and ſhot, fled amaine and left us [...]

   1638, Sir Thomas Herbert, Some years travels into divers parts of Asia and Afrique

   "That is droll. Listen yet one time. You are very spiritual. Can you make a honorable lady of Her?" / "Don't be so malicious," says Mr. Bucket. / "Or a haughty gentleman of Him?" cries Madamoiselle, referring to Sir Leicester with ineffable disdain. "Eh! O then regard him! The poor infant! Ha! ha! ha!" / "Come, come, why this is worse Parlaying than the other," says Mr. Bucket. "Come along!"

   1852 March – 1853 September, Charles Dickens, “Springing a Mine”, in Bleak House, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1853, →OCLC, page 527

   Mia is a teenage girl from Mexico who can read her mother’s mind. Akhil is a young man in New Jersey who is seeing things through other people’s eyes. And Lily parleys brain-to-brain with friends who are far away from where she lives in Georgia. According to The Telepathy Tapes, a 10-part audio series that is now one of the most popular podcasts in America, Mia, Akhil, and Lily are nonspeaking people with autism who have a special skill: They’re savants for ESP.

   2025 March 3, Daniel Engber, “The Telepathy Trap”, in The Atlantic, retrieved 15 Apr 2026

   Synonyms: chat, discourse, moot, chat, common, confab, confabulate, conversate

1. An uncommon surname.