parry

parry
verb




parried; parrying
intransitive verb

1
: to ward off a weapon or blow
parried forcefully and knocked his opponent's sword out of his hand
2
: to evade or turn aside something
can parry and thrust … without losing the thread of his argument
—Stewart Cockburn
transitive verb

1
: to ward off (something, such as a blow)
parried the thrust of his opponent's sword
2
: to evade especially by an adroit answer
parried the question
parry noun



Did you know?
What do parry, parapet, and parasol have in common?

Parry (which is used in fencing, as well as in other applications) was borrowed from French parer, meaning "to ward off" or "to avert," and may specifically have come directly from the plural imperative form of that word, parez. The French likely borrowed the word from Italian parare, meaning "to prepare, adorn, avert, shield, keep out." That word's source is Latin par;re, meaning "to supply, provide, make ready," an ancestor to many familiar English words, among them prepare, repair, emperor, separate, and apparatus.


Example Sentences
He parried the thrust of his opponent's sword.
He parried and then threw a punch.
She cleverly parried the reporters' questions.
Recent Examples on the Web
The most pressing challenge for DeSantis will be how to parry Trump’s attacks, Mackowiak said.
—Melanie Mason, Anchorage Daily News, 19 Nov. 2022
The most pressing challenge for DeSantis will be how to parry Trump’s attacks, Mackowiak said.
—Melanie Mason, Anchorage Daily News, 19 Nov. 2022
The most pressing challenge for DeSantis will be how to parry Trump’s attacks, Mackowiak said.
—Melanie Masonstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 18 Nov. 2022
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