1
: a room used primarily for conversation or the reception of guests: such as
a
: a room in a private dwelling for the entertainment of guests
b
: a conference chamber or private reception room
c
: a room in an inn, hotel, or club for conversation or semiprivate uses
2
: any of various business places
a funeral parlor
a beauty parlor
1
: used in or suitable for a parlor
parlor furniture
2
a
: fostered or advocated in comfortable seclusion without consequent action or application to affairs
parlor bolshevism
b
: given to or characterized by fostering or advocating something (such as a doctrine) in such a manner
parlor socialist
Examples of parlor in a Sentence
Noun
an ice cream parlor with an old-timey theme
Recent Examples on the Web
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
2 July 2026
They were published in the North and South, performed in racist minstrel shows and polite parlors, and sung by abolitionists and defenders of enslavement alike.
—
Christopher Lynch,
The Conversation,
1 July 2026
The funeral parlor in Salzburg where Kerstin’s memorial service was held—with an invitation for mourners signed by both Kerstin’s family and Thomas—created an online page for condolences.
—
William Finnegan,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
Cafés and ice-cream parlors are packed.
—
Thomas Chatterton Williams,
The Atlantic,
28 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for parlor
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Noun
On Monday, June 29, the pizza parlor chain will host America 250 Block Party celebrations with giveaways, music, games and free slices of its limited-time America 250 Birthday Cake Dessert Pizza.
—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
2 July 2026
They were published in the North and South, performed in racist minstrel shows and polite parlors, and sung by abolitionists and defenders of enslavement alike.
—
Christopher Lynch,
The Conversation,
1 July 2026
The funeral parlor in Salzburg where Kerstin’s memorial service was held—with an invitation for mourners signed by both Kerstin’s family and Thomas—created an online page for condolences.
—
William Finnegan,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
Cafés and ice-cream parlors are packed.
—
Thomas Chatterton Williams,
The Atlantic,
28 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for parlor
Cite this Entry
“Parlor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parlor. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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