Parry

How to spell parry

5 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce parry

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does parry mean?

1. verbTo deflect or ward off a blow, attack, or awkward question.
2. nounA defensive movement that deflects an attack or a difficult question.

Parry in a sentence

• verb

  The boxer learned to parry a jab with his forearm.

• noun

  A quick parry stopped the blade short of his chest.

• verb

  She managed to parry every awkward question from the reporters.

• noun

  His clever parry steered the interview away from the scandal.

Where does parry come from?

Language of origin: French

This word comes from the French parer, meaning 'to ward off' or 'to guard against', which in turn descends from the Italian parare with the same defensive sense. Both trace back to the Latin parare, which literally meant 'to prepare' or 'to make ready', the same root that gives us 'prepare' and 'repair'. The idea travelled from generally getting something ready to the more specific notion of readying oneself to fend off a blow. English took the word in around the early 1600s, largely from the world of fencing and swordplay, where a parry is the move that turns aside an attacking blade. The doubled 'r' in the English spelling reflects the short vowel before it, much as in 'carry' and 'marry', which is the easiest way to remember why it is not spelled with a single 'r'.

How the word is built

• parr- (from French parer: to ward off, prepare)
• -y (verb/noun ending)