Parlousness

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Parlous \Par"lous\, a. [For perlous, a contr. fr. perilous.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. Attended with peril; dangerous; as, a parlous cough.
        [Archaic] "A parlous snuffing." --Beau. & Fl.
        [1913 Webster]
  


     2. Venturesome; bold; mischievous; keen. [Obs.] "A parlous
        boy." --Shak. "A parlous wit." --Dryden. -- {Par"lous*ly},
        adv. [Obs.] -- {Par"lous*ness}, n. [Obs.]
        [1913 Webster]