parlor
Shop offering a specific service
A shop or room for one main service, often named with another word before it, like a beauty parlor or ice-cream parlor.
a [type] parlor; at the [type] parlor
- She opened a small tattoo parlor downtown with her best friend.
- We met at the ice-cream parlor on the corner after the movie.
- The city is trying to close several illegal massage parlors in that neighborhood.
- His aunt runs a beauty parlor out of the front room of her house.
- Mourners gathered at the funeral parlor to pay their last respects.
- We are waiting for you at the ice-cream parlor.
- Her mother works in a beauty parlor on this street.
- They want to open a small massage parlor near the hotel.
- He got his first tattoo at a parlor near the station.
- The family met at the funeral parlor before the ceremony.
Room in a home for guests
An old word for a formal sitting room in a home, used for talking with guests.
in the parlor; the front parlor
- The guests were shown into the front parlor and offered tea.
- Old photographs of the family covered the walls of the parlor.
- They kept the parlor tidy at all times in case visitors stopped by.
- Her grandmother's parlor still has the original wallpaper from the 1920s.
- The children were not allowed to play in the parlor, only in the kitchen and yard.
- The family sits in the parlor when guests come.
- There is a large sofa in the parlor.
- Her grandmother keeps her best things in the parlor.
- They drink tea in the parlor on Sunday afternoon.
- The children cannot play in the parlor because it is a special room.
Only-talk, not-action environment (attributive)
Used before another word to say someone only talks about ideas in a safe place and does not act in real life, for example a "parlor socialist."
parlor [ideology/person]; parlor [role]
- Critics dismissed him as a parlor socialist who had never worked a day in a factory.
- The book attacks parlor radicals who talk about change but avoid any personal risk.
- She didn’t want to be just a parlor feminist; she volunteered at the shelter every week.
- He called their plan nothing more than a parlor revolution, designed to impress friends over wine.
- The article contrasts parlor environmentalists with people actually living off the grid.
- Some people call him a parlor socialist because he talks a lot but does not act.
- They say she is only a parlor feminist, not a real activist.
- He does not want to be a parlor radical; he wants to do real work.
- The writer attacks parlor liberals who just talk at dinner parties.
- People use the phrase "parlor socialist" to criticize people who only speak but do not act.
- Base: parlor
- Plural: parlors
beauty parlor
1Place for hair and beauty care
A place where people go to have their hair and face cared for, especially for women, like a hair and beauty shop.
- She spends Saturday mornings at the beauty parlor getting her hair done.
- Her aunt runs a small beauty parlor out of her house.
funeral parlor
1Business for funerals and viewings
A place where dead people are prepared for burial and where families can see the body and hold a service.
- The family gathered at the funeral parlor the night before the funeral.
- Flowers filled the room at the funeral parlor where the viewing was held.
ice-cream parlor
1Shop that sells ice cream
A small shop or room where you can buy and eat ice cream.
- After school, the kids go to the ice-cream parlor for cones.
- We found a cute old-fashioned ice-cream parlor near the beach.
massage parlor
1Place where massages are given
A business where people pay to get a massage.
- He works evenings at a massage parlor downtown.
- The city introduced new rules for all massage parlors to improve safety.
parlor game
1Simple social indoor game
A simple game people play together inside a house, often with talking or guessing and little or no equipment.
- They spent the evening playing parlor games like charades.
- The show turns politics into a kind of parlor game for viewers.
parlor trick
1Small trick to impress people
A simple trick or special skill you do to surprise or amuse people, often at home or in a small group.
- He can balance a chair on his chin, but it’s really just a parlor trick.
- The app’s voice feature is more than a parlor trick; it’s actually useful.
tattoo parlor
1shop where tattoos are done
A shop or business where people go to get tattoos.
- They opened a new tattoo parlor near the train station.
- She got her first tattoo at a small tattoo parlor near campus.
- The tattoo parlor was clean and followed all health rules.
- The new tattoo parlor has very strict hygiene standards.
- He walked past the bright neon sign of a tattoo parlor.