Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1700-1800
Language: Portuguese
Origin: palavra 'word, speech', from Late Latin parabola; PARABLE

palaver

 noun
     
pa‧la‧ver [singular, uncountable] especially British English
informal unnecessary trouble and anxiety that makes something seem more important than it really is:
We could have done without all this palaver.
What a palaver over nothing!
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
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