English Explanatory Dictionary

palaver

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A village council meeting.
  2. Talk, especially unnecessary talk; chatter.
  3. Mentally draining activity, either physical or fuss.
  4. A meeting at which there is much talk; a debate; a moot.
  5. Disagreement.
  6. Talk intended to deceive.
verb
  1. To discuss with much talk.
  2. To flatter.

Pronunciation

/pəˈlɑː.və(ɹ)/ en-au-palaver.ogg

Word forms

palaver palavers palavering palavered

Etymology

Originally nautical slang, from Portuguese palavra (“word”), from Late Latin parabola (“parable, speech”). The term's use (especially in Africa) mimics the evolution of the word moot. As such, for sense development, see moot. Doublet of parable, parole, and parabola.

Synonyms

hot air babble bavardage bibble-babble blab blabber blabbing blather blathering chatter chinwag chit-chat claver clepe gabble mardle natter palaver prate prattle scuttlebutt small talk tattle twaddle waffle yackety-yak yap yatter ado bother argy-bargy bangarang bobbery brouhaha bunfight bustle bust-up chaos ferment clamour clatter commotion disruption disturbance flap foofaraw fracas furor fuss hobbleshaw hoo-ha hoo-hah hubbub hullabaloo hurly-burly kerfuffle mayhem merry hell outcry pandemonium

Derived words

palaverer palaver hut palaverist palaverment palaverous palaver sauce

Translations

Danish: palaver Finnish: palaveri French: palabre German: Palaver Russian: до́лгие перегово́ры
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