palaver

pa·lav·er

 (pə-lăv′ər, -lä′vər)

n.

1.

a. Idle chatter.

b. Talk intended to charm or beguile.

2. A negotiation or discussion concerning matters in dispute, especially in the traditional cultures of West Africa.

v. pa·lav·ered, pa·lav·er·ing, pa·lav·ers

v.intr.

To talk idly or at length.

v.tr.

Archaic To flatter or cajole.

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[Portuguese palavra, speech, alteration of Late Latin parabola, speech, parable; see parable.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

palaver

(pəˈlɑːvə)

n

1. tedious or time-consuming business, esp when of a formal nature: all the palaver of filling in forms.

2. loud and confused talk and activity; hubbub

3. (often used humorously) a conference

4. rare talk intended to flatter or persuade

5.

a. an argument

b. trouble arising from an argument

vb

6. (intr) (often used humorously) to have a conference

7. (intr) to talk loudly and confusedly

8. (tr) to flatter or cajole

[C18: from Portuguese palavra talk, from Latin parabola parable]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

pa•lav•er

(pəˈlæv ər, -ˈlɑ vər)

n.

1. profuse and idle talk; chatter.

2. persuasive talk; flattery; cajolery.

3. a conference or discussion, orig. one between European traders, explorers, etc., and people indigenous to a region, esp. in Africa.

v.i.

4. to talk profusely and idly.

5. to confer.

v.t.

6. to cajole or persuade.

[1720–30; < Portuguese palavra word, speech, talk < Late Latin parabola parable]

pa•lav′er•er, n.

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

palaver

Past participle: palavered
Gerund: palavering

Imperative

palaver

palaver

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	palaver - flattery intended to persuade blandishment, cajolery flattery - excessive or insincere praise
	2.	palaver - loud and confused and empty talk; "mere rhetoric" empty talk, empty words, hot air, rhetoric hokum, meaninglessness, nonsense, nonsensicality, bunk - a message that seems to convey no meaning
Verb	1.	palaver - speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly blabber, piffle, prate, prattle, tattle, tittle-tattle, twaddle, gabble, gibber, blab, clack, maunder, chatter mouth, speak, talk, verbalise, verbalize, utter - express in speech; "She talks a lot of nonsense"; "This depressed patient does not verbalize" blather, blether, blither, smatter, babble - to talk foolishly; "The two women babbled and crooned at the baby"
	2.	palaver - influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering; "He palavered her into going along" blarney, cajole, coax, inveigle, sweet-talk, wheedle persuade - cause somebody to adopt a certain position, belief, or course of action; twist somebody's arm; "You can't persuade me to buy this ugly vase!" soft-soap - persuade someone through flattery browbeat, bully, swagger - discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner; intimidate
	3.	palaver - have a lengthy discussion, usually between people of different backgrounds parley - discuss, as between enemies

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

palaver

noun

1. fuss, business (informal), to-do, performance (informal), procedure, carry-on (informal, chiefly Brit.), pantomime (informal, chiefly Brit.), song and dance (Brit. informal), rigmarole We had to go through the whole palaver of changing our flight.

2. prattle, chatter, babble, yak (slang), hubbub, natter (Brit.), tongue-wagging, blather, blether I had to listen to a lot of palaver about political correctness.

3. conference, session, discussion, get-together (informal), parley, powwow, colloquy, confab (informal) Have you two finished your little palaver?

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

palaver

noun

Incessant and usually inconsequential talk:

babble, blab, blabber, chat, chatter, chitchat, jabber, prate, prattle, small talk.

Slang: gab, gas, yak.

verb

To talk volubly, persistently, and usually inconsequentially:

babble, blabber, chatter, chitchat, clack, jabber, prate, prattle, rattle (on), run on.

Informal: go on, spiel.

Slang: gab, gas, jaw, yak.

Idioms: run off at the mouth, shoot the breeze.

The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

Unterhaltung

cianceconversazionediscussione

palaver

[pəˈlɑːvəʳ]

A. N

1. (= fuss) → jaleo m, desmadre m; (= trouble) → molestias fpl, trámites mpl engorrosos (US) (= chatter) → palabrería f
what a palaver! → ¡qué jaleo!
why all the palaver! → ¡no es para tanto!
that palaver about the car → aquel jaleo que se armó con el coche
can't we do it without a lot of palaver? → ¿no podemos hacerlo sin meternos en tantos líos?

2. (= conference) → conferencia f, parlamento m

B. VI → parlamentar

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

palaver

[pəˈlɑːvə^r] n (= fuss) → histoire f
What a palaver! → Quelle histoire!

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

palaver

n (inf)

(= fuss and bother) → Umstand m, → Theater nt (inf)

(= conference) → Palaver nt

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

palaver

[pəˈlɑːvəʳ] n (fam) (fuss) → storie fpl; (talk) → tiritera

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995