Emily Dickinson Lexicon

PAR'RY, v.t. [Fr. parer; It. parare, to adorn, to parry; Sp. parar, to stop; Port. id. to stop, to parry; from the root of pare, to cut off, to separate. See Pare.]

1. In fencing, to ward off; to stop or to put or turn by; as, to parry a thrust.
2. To ward off; to turn aside; to prevent a blow from taking effect.
3. To avoid; to shift off. The French government has parried the payment of our claims. – E. Everett.