parry
/ˈpɛɹi/
nounverb
Familiar
1.n.(fencing) blocking a lunge or deflecting it with a circular motion of the sword
2.n.a return punch (especially by a boxer)
3.v.impede the movement of (an opponent or a ball)
“block an attack”
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parry and perry are homophones: they are pronounced identically and spelled differently, which is why they are so often swapped. parry means “(fencing) blocking a lunge or deflecting it with a circular motion of the sword”. perry means “United States philosopher (1876-1957)”. perry is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈpɛɹi/
1.n.(fencing) blocking a lunge or deflecting it with a circular motion of the sword
2.n.a return punch (especially by a boxer)
3.v.impede the movement of (an opponent or a ball)
“block an attack”
| parry | perry | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈpɛɹi/ | /ˈpɛɹi/ |
| Said | PER-ee | PER-ee |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 5 | 5 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | noun |
| Senses | 4 | 4 |
| How common | Familiar | Common |
| Synonyms | none recorded | Ralph Barton Perry |
Full entry for parry · Full entry for perry · More comparisons
/ˈpɛɹi/
1.n.United States philosopher (1876-1957)
2.n.United States admiral who led a naval expedition to Japan and signed a treaty in 1854 opening up trade relations between United States and Japan; brother of Oliver Hazard Perry (1794-1858)
3.n.United States commodore who led the fleet that defeated the British on Lake Erie during the War of 1812; brother of Matthew Calbraith Perry (1785-1819)