n. (US parlor) 1 a sitting-room in a private house. 2 a room in a hotel, convent, etc., for the private use of residents. 3 esp. US a shop providing specified goods or services (beauty parlour; ice-cream parlour). 4 a room or building equipped for milking cows. 5 (attrib.) derog. denoting support for political views by those who do not try to practise them (parlour socialist). parlour game an indoor game, esp. a word game. parlour-maid hist. a maid who waits at table.
[ ME f. AF parlur, OF parleor, parleur: see PARLANCE ]