Definition

Noun: A game suitable for playing in a parlor. This refers to an indoor game, typically involving mental skill, conversation, or light physical activity, designed for social entertainment in a living room or similar domestic setting.

Usage

A "parlor game" is a social activity for a group. It is used to describe structured games played indoors for amusement at parties or gatherings. The term often implies games requiring little to no specialized equipment.

Examples

• Noun:
  • Charades is a classic parlor game that requires players to act out words or phrases.
  • For our family reunion, we organized several parlor games like Twenty Questions and Pictionary.
  • The Victorian era was known for its popularity of intellectual parlor games.

Advanced Usage

• Historical/Cultural Context: The term evokes a specific social setting, often associated with formal living rooms ("parlors") in past centuries. It suggests genteel, group entertainment.
• Modern Extension: While the setting is less formal today, the term still applies to any social, indoor party game.

Variants and Related Words

• Parlour game (noun): The British English spelling variant.
• Party game (noun): A closely related modern synonym, though it may imply a broader range of games, including more active or outdoor ones.
• Board game (noun): A type of game often played in a parlor, but "parlor game" is a broader category that can include games without a board.

Synonyms

• Indoor game: A more general term.
• Social game: Emphasizes the group interaction aspect.
• Party game: A near-synonym in contemporary usage.

Related Phrases

• "To break the ice": Many parlor games are used as icebreakers at social events.
  • We started with a simple parlor game to break the ice at the party.

Noun

1. a game suitable for playing in a parlor