parrot's-bill 
parrot's-bill (par'otH-bil), . A plant of the 
geilUS ( 'till tltllllK. 
Parrott gun. See </i. 
parrot-weed (par'ot-wed), n. The plant //'.<- 
m/i/i/ friili-sri-im of tropical America. [West 
Indies.] 
parrot-Wrasse (par'ot-ras), . A labroid par- 
rot-fish : so called from the. parrot-like beak and 
K.-iudy c(il(ir;itiou. 
parry (par'i), .; pi. /Hii-rii'x (-iz). [Fonnerly 
/Hirree; < OF. /Hirer, pri']iaration, ceremony, pa- 
rade (= II . /Miriitu, f., a defense), < ML. parata, 
preparation, parade, fern, of L. paratus, pp. of 
/HI i-ii n; prepare, get ready, ML. ward off, guard, 
defend, etc.: see pare*. Ct. parade.] 1. Ade- 
I'msivc movement in fencing. 
He waa met by an irreproachable parry, but there was 
no riposte. Fenciny (Badminton Library), p. 'ft. 
2. A fencing-bout; hence, a brilliant attack 
and defense of any kind. 
Mr. fleorge Jeflerlos and one of the prisoner's witnesses 
had a parree of wit, 
Itoyer North, Examen, p. 589. (Daviet.) 
parry (par'i), v. ; pret. and pp. parrifd, ppr. 
I'lin-i/iiii/. [<,<,;!/, . | I. frOM 1. To turn 
aside ; ward off : as, to parry a thrust or a blow, 
or an inquisitive question. 
He lifts his shield, md parries with his steel 
The strokes he sees the adverse weapon deal. 
Hook, tr. of Arlosto's Orlando Kurinwi, xlv. 
The evil you contend with has taken alarming propor- 
tions, and you still content yourself with parrying the 
blows it aims, but, as if enchanted, abstain from striking 
at the cause. JSmemun, Amer. Civilization. 
2. To avoid; evade. 
Bigotry . . . 
Mighty to parry and push by God's word 
With senseless noise. Cowper, Hope, 1. 859. 
The French government has parried the payment of our 
claims. Everett. 
II. intrans. To act on the defensive, as in 
warding off a thrust or an argument; fence. 
Parry, villain, traitor ! 
What doost thou with that dagge? 
Ueywood, If you Know not me, ii. 
With learned Skill, now push, now parry, 
From Darii to Bocardo vary. Prior, Alma, lii. 
If we cannot parry, ... we can strike ; If we cannot 
keep our own lands from being ravaged, we can ravage 
the lands of the enemy. Irving, Granada, p. 75. 
The strongest of the two duellists . . . bore down upon 
his adversary with a terrific onslaught, forcing him to 
"break " and pan-y wildly. 
OrmriUe Murray, Member from Paris, I. 215. 
pars (piirz), n.; pi. paries (par'tez). [L., a part : 
see part."] In anat.. a part Pars chordalis, the 
vertebral or occipitosphenoidal part of the base of the 
cranium, the portion originally occupied by the chorda 
dorsalis, extending as far forward as the sella turcica, 
Pars ciliaris retinae. Same as preretina. Pars Inter- 
media, a part of the clitoris considered homologous with 
a part of the corpus spongiosum of the penis. Pars In- 
termedia Wrlsbergli, the Intermediate part of the facial 
nerve. Pars mastoldea, the mastoid part of the tem- 
poral bone. Pars papillaris cutls, the more superficial 
and compact part or the corium. Para petrosa, the pe- 
trous part of the temporal bone. Pars pfana.thr smooth 
surface of the lateral mass of the ethmoid bone, which 
forms a great part of the inner wall of the orbit of the eye. 
Pars postrolandica, the part of the cerebrum behind 
the posterior central gyrus. Pars prserolandica, the 
part of the brain in front of the anterior central gyrus 
Pars reticularis cutls, the deeper part of the corium. 
Pars rolandica, the anterior and posterior central gyri 
of the cerebrum taken together. Pars squamosa, the 
sqnamous part of the temporal bone. Pars tympanica, 
that part of the temporal bone which is formed from the 
tympanic ring of the fetus. 
parse 1 (pars), v. t.; pret. and pp. parsed, ppr. 
pursing. [Formerlyalso perse, per.e; (li.pars, 
part: see part. To parse is to tell "qua pars 
iii-iitionitt,'vfh&t part of speech' (a word is); 
and the verb seems to have arisen from the in- 
terrogation ''parsf'i. e. "quxparsorationinT" 
used by schoolmasters.] In gram., to describe 
grammatically by telling the part of speech of, 
as a word, or of each word in, as a sentence, de- 
fining and describing its grammatical form, and 
showing its relation to the other words in the 
sentence ; resolve, as a sentence, into its gram- 
matical parts: as, to parse a line in Virgil. 
Let the childe, by and by, both Construe and pane It 
oner againe. Ascham, The Scholemaster, p. 26. 
I question much whether they were not better speake 
plainer English then such Latine as the Angels can nard- 
ly construe, and God happily loves not to perse. 
N. Ward, Simple Cooler, p. 59. 
Let scholars be employed . . . dally In reducing the 
words to their original, or theme, to the first case of 
mums, or first tense of verbs, and giving an account of 
their formations and changes, their syntax and dependen- 
cies, which is called parting. 
Watt*, Improvement of Mind, I. vll. 6. 
parse-t, ''. > An obsolete form of pierce. Pil- 
kiii!il,i'.t ll'orl;,-; p. 273. (Hatliicell.) 
4301 
Parsee, Pars! (piir'se). n. and a. [Hind. I'arsi 
= Ar. /'</;,.,/, < Porn. 1'tlrxi, a Persian. < I'm-x 
O AT. Far.*), 1'ersiu: see Persian. } I. //. One of 
the descendants of those Persians who settle*! 
in India about the end of the seventh ami tin- 
beginning of the eighth century in order to .-- 
cape Mohammedan persecution, mid who still 
retain their ancient religion, now railed Zoro- 
natriiinism. See (lui/n / . 
Et. . Of or relating to the Parsees or their 
doctrines or customs. 
Parseeism (par'se-izm), . [< Parsee + -ism.] 
The religion and customs of the Parsees. See 
Zoroastrianism. 
parser (par'ser), n. [<pare 1 + -!.] One who 
parses, 
Parsi. . and a. See Parsee. 
parsil (piir'sil), n. An obsolete or dialectal 
form of parsley. Hallitrell. 
parsimonious (par-si-mo'ni-us), a. [Formerly 
also imrrimonious; < F. parcimonieux = Pg. par- 
I'iiniiiiioxii, < ML. "parsimoniosus, < L. pariin<>- 
/"-'. parsimony: see parsimony.] Character- 
ized by parsimony in practice or disposition ; 
very sparing in expenditure ; frugal to excess ; 
stinting; niggardly. 
First crept 
The parrimoniotu emmet, provident 
Of future. Milton, P. L, viL 486. 
Rublnelll's voice was full, majestic, and steady, and, be- 
sides the accuracy of his intonations, ... he was parri- 
moniota and Judicious In his graces. 
Dr. Burney, Hist. Music, IV. 631. 
Extraordinary funds for one campaign may spare us the 
expense of many years, whereas a long parsimonious war 
will drain us of more men and money. Addixm. 
= 8yn. Miserly, Niggardly, etc. See penurious, 
parsimoniously (par-si-mo'ni-us-li), adv. In a 
parsimonious or saving manner ; sparingly, 
parsimoniousness (par-si-mo'ni-us-nes), n. The 
state or character of being parsimonious, spar- 
ing, or stinting. 
parsimony (piir'si-mo-ni), . [Formerly also 
parcimony ; < OF. parsimonie, F. parcimonie = 
Sp. It. parsimonia = Pg. parcimonia, parsimo- 
>iia, < L. parximonia, parcimonia, gparingness, 
frugality, < parcere, be sparing.] Sparingness 
in the use or expenditure of means; most 
commonly, excessive or unnecessary economy; 
stinginess ; niggardliness. 
The ways to enrich are many . . . parsimony is one of 
the best, and yet Is not Innocent, for It wlthholdeth men 
from works of liberality and charity. Bacon, Riches. 
Parsimony, and not Industry. Is the Immediate cause of 
the Increase of capital ; Industry, indeed, provides the sub- 
ject which parsimony accumulates ; but whatever Industry 
might acquire, if parsimony did not save and store up, the 
capital would never be the greater. 
.t(/i/i Umith, Wealth of Nations, II. :t. 
This spirit of economy was carried so far as to bring on 
him the reproach of parsimony. 
Prescott, Ferd. and Isa., II. 24. 
Law of parsimony. See lawl. = Syn. Stinginess, nig- 
gardliness, penuriousnesa. See penuriout. 
parsing (piir'sing), n. [Verbal n. of parse 1 , r.] 
The art or practice of describing grammatical- 
ly the words in a sentence. 
parsley (piirs'H), n. [Formerly also parsly, 
parsefy, persely, dial, parsil; < ME. parcelye, 
persely, persley, parcely, percyly, persili, persile, 
persil, parcelie, percyle, percyll, parsil, etc., < 
OF. persil, peresil, pierresill, pierre essil, pierre- 
cin, percin, persin, etc., F. persil = Sp.pereril, 
now perejil = Pg. perrexil = It. petrosello, pe- 
trosillo, petrosellino, petrosemolo, preszemolo = 
AS. pftersilium, petersilige, petersilie = MD. pe- 
terselie, D'.neterseli = MLG. pftersilie, pettercil- 
lige = OHG. pedersilli, petrasile, MHO. G. peter- 
silie = Dan. petersilie, also perxille = Sw. per- 
sifja (< F.), < L. petruselinum, ML. also petro- 
nelinon, petrosillum, petrisellum, parsley, < Gr. 
ircTpoaftuimi, rock-parsley, < irirpos. rock, + ae- 
X/vov,akindof parsley : see celery. ] A biennial 
garden-herb, Carum Petroselinum (Petroselinum 
sativum), a native of the eastern Mediterranean 
region, now widely cultivated and sometimes 
running wild. Its aromatic leaves are used to flavor 
soups and other dishes ; and for garnishing it Is a great 
favorite on account of its much-divided, finely cut, and 
crisped leaves, which, however, in the wild plant are 
plain. In the Nemean games the victors' crowns were 
of parsley. A variety, the Hamburg parsley, is grown for 
its large root, which Is used In soups, etc., or as a sepa- 
rate dish. Parsley yields the drug aplol. Parsley-leaves 
are often chewed to neutralize the scent of onions. The 
parsley-plant is dangerously mimicked by the fool'i-pan- 
ley. See below. 
Quinces 4 peris Clryppe with parcrly rotes rijt so bygynn 
your mele. Babeet Book (E. E. T. 8.\ p. 172. 
Her glorious head is compast with a Crown, 
Not made of Olive, Pine, or Lawrell bough. 
Nor /'unify Wreath, which Grecians did allow 
Tlf Olympian games for signals of renown. 
Sytcetttr, tr. of l)u Bartas's Triumph of Faith, 1. 11. 
parson 
I knew a wench married In an afternoon as she went to 
the garden tar parsley to stuff a rabKit 
.v/,,,/., T. .,[ Hi,- s., Iv. 4. 101. 
Asa-parsley +, an old name of some umbelliferous plant, 
IM rlniiiHthesanieas/<*>{'*.}Mimb'i/. Bastard parsley,the 
iimbeillferoiiH geium Caucalut. - Black parsley, a nrub- 
by plant, Thapsia (Jlelanoselinum) deetpiem. of Madeira, 
with simple stem mill umbrella-like crown of fine foliage, 
three or four feet in diameter. Corn-parsley grain- 
neld weed, Carum(PitnttUititm'>ityttum,utt]>Kn\,i World. 
Cow-parsley. Same **eow-e*rrdl. - Fool's-parsley, 
a feiiil p<iisonous tiiubelllfer, Mh\un Cynapium, with the 
aspect of the common parsley, but without the curled 
leaves of Its usual cultivated forms, and having long 
hanging Involncels. It Is an old World plant sparingly 
naturalized In the eastern United States. Oil Of pars- 
ley, see M. Square parsley, Cartm (Ptydtotit) he- 
leruphi/Uuin, of Switzerland, etc. (See also bur-parsley, 
hedtje-parsley, hemlock-parsley, horse-parsley, etc.) 
parsley-camphor (piirs'U-kam'for), n. Same 
as aiiinl. 
parsley-fern ( pars 'li- fern), n. A European 
fern, Cryptoaramme crispu (AUoHonts crixjius) ; 
the roek-brake. 
parsley-haw(piirN'li-ha),. A small tree, Cra- 
i;i'iiiiH iiiiiifolia, of the southern United States: 
so called on account of its pinnately lobed and 
sharply toothed leaves. 
parsley-piert (pars'li-pert), n. [Also parsley- 
pert, accom. form, of F. perce-pierre, 'pieree- 
stone': MO pierce andjrier.] A rosaceous herb, 
Alchemilla arvensis, of the northern parts of the 
Old World, introduced in Virginia. It Is only two 
or three Inches high, often less, lias orbicular leaves much 
divided and cut, and minute green flowers in little beads 
In the leaf-axils, half Inclosed by the leafy stipules. Also 
called breakstone. 
parsling (pars'ling), n. Xaut., same as parcel- 
ing. 
parsnip (pars'nip), u. [Formerly also parsnep, 
pargeniji.pasnfp; < ME. parsenip, pasneep, pas- 
ncpe, < OF. pastenaque, also pastenade, paste- 
naille, pagtentigue, F. pastenade, panais = Pr. 
pastenaga, pastenagla = Sp. Pg. It. pastinaca 
= D. pastinak, pasternak = MLG. paslernake, 
\jQ.palsternak = OHG. pastinaga, pastinac, 
MHG. pasteney, MHG. G. pastinake, pasternak 
= Dan. pastinak = Sw. palstcrnacka, < L. pas- 
tinaca, a parsnip, < pastinum, a kind of two- 
forked dibble : see pastine. The termination 
has been appar. influenced by that of turnip.] 
A biennial plant, Peucedanum (Pastinaca) sa- 
tivum, native through temperate Europe and 
part of Asia, and widely cultivated in gardens, 
thence again running wild. It Is an erect plant with 
pinnate leaves and bright-yellow flowers, having a tap-root 
which in the wild plant Is hard and Inedible, even some- 
what poisonous, but under culture becomes fleshy, palata- 
ble, and nutritious, and has been used as food from ancient 
times. It contains sugar, and a wine Is made from It. and 
with hops a kind of beer. It is a valuable fodder-plant, 
surpassing the carrot in milk-producing quality. Varieties 
of the parsnip are the common or Dutch, the hollow- 
crowned or cup, the Guernsey, the round or turnip, and 
the student ; the hist was developed directly from the wild 
parsnip In experimental cultivation. 
And onyons forto sowe eke tyme is atte, 
J'ftKitrrji, and origon, and Tyme Is throwe 
In moolde. 
Palladius, Huslwndrle (E. E. T. 8.), p. 192. 
Rough parsnip, Opopanaz Chironitim. Victorian 
parsnip, the Australian plant Trachymrae A usfru/u. (See 
also meadotr-parsnip, sea-parsnip, tnter-partnip.) 
parsnip-chervil (pa'rs'nip-cher'vil), w. An es- 
culent herb, ('htrrophyltum bulbosum, of middle 
Europe and western Asia. The root is palat- 
able and very rich in starch. 
parson (piir'sn), . [< ME. parson, parsone, 
persone, persoun, jtersun, < OF. persone (F. per- 
sonne), <ML. persona, a person, curate, parson, 
< L. persona, a person : see persoti. The par- 
son is the persona ecclesiee, or representative of 
the church. The forms parson and person are 
related as clark and clerk.] If. A person. 
This yere (xxl. Hen. VII.] a grete tyre happenyd In 
London, betwene the Costume House and Bellnges Qate, 
that dyd grete hurte, and dyuers panonet were brent 
Arnold's Chronicle (1502), p. xlii. 
2. The person in holy orders who has the charge 
or cure of souls in a parish ; the incumbent of 
a parochial benefice. Four requisites are necessary 
to constitute a parson In England, namely holy orders, 
presentation, institution, and Induction. 
Sometimes conies she [Mali] with a tithe-pig's tall, 
Tickling a parmn's nose ss a' lies asleep, 
Then dreams he of another beneflce. 
Shale., R. and J., I. 4. SO. 
He Is called parson, persona, because by his person the 
church, which is an invisible body, is represented : and 
he Is in himself a body corporate, in order to protect and 
defend the rights of the church which he personates. 
Blackstone, Com., I. xi. 
3. A clergyman in general; a man licensed to 
preach : often used colloquially, or with a touch 
of contempt: as, a fox-hunting pa rson. 
