parlous Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. adjective satellite fraught with danger
    touch-and-go; precarious; perilous.
    • dangerous waters
    • a parlous journey on stormy seas
    • a perilous voyage across the Atlantic in a small boat
    • the precarious life of an undersea diver
    • dangerous surgery followed by a touch-and-go recovery

WordNet

Par"lous adjective
Etymology
For perlous, a contr. fr. perilous.
Definitions
  1. Attended with peril; dangerous; as, a parlous cough. Archaic "A parlous snuffing." Beau. & Fl.
  2. Venturesome; bold; mischievous; keen. Obs. "A parlous boy." Shak. "A parlous wit." Dryden. -- Par"lous*ly, adv. Obs. -- Par"lous*ness, n. Obs.

Webster 1913