parlous

[pahr-luhs] Origin

par·lous

[pahr-luhs]
adjective
1.
perilous; dangerous.
2.
Obsolete. clever; shrewd.
adverb
3.
to a large extent; greatly.

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Parlous is always a great word to know.
So is doohickey. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English, variant of perlous, syncopated variant of perilous

par·lous·ly, adverb
par·lous·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
parlous (ˈpɑːləs)
 
adj
1.  dangerous or difficult
2.  cunning
 
adv
3.  extremely
 
[C14 perlous, variant of perilous]
 
'parlously
 
adv
 
'parlousness
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

parlous
late 14c., late M.E. contraction of perilous.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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