parergon (parergon)

[ It was intended to be merely a parergon - a "second subject," upon which daylight energies might be spent, while the hours of night were reserved for cataloguing those stars that "are bereft of the baths of ocean." A. M. Clerke , Astron. in 19th Cent., p. 187. parergyt (par'ėr-ji), n . [Irreg. parergon : see parergon .] Same as parergon . The Scriptures being serious, and commonly omitting such parergies , it will be unreasonable from hence to condemn all laughter. Sir T. Browne, Vulg. Err., vii. 16. paresis (par'e-sis), n. [= F. parésie , pare sis , πάρεσις , a letting go, paralysis, ριέναι , relax, παρά , from, + ἱέναι , let go.] An incomplete degree of paralysis. - General paresis. Same as dementia paralytic a (which see, under de mentia ). pare so-analgesia (par"e-sō-an-al-jē'si-ä), n. [NL., disease. sia. In addition to a number of paræsthetic symptoms, there was a paralysis of the leg on the same side as the head injury. Alien, and Neurol ., X. 442. paretic (pa-ret'ik), a . and n. [ paresis ( paret- ) +-ic.] I. a . Pertaining to, of the nature of, or IMG:content-2352.png:[blocks in formation] par excellence (pär ek-se-lons'). [F.: par, by; excellence, excellence.] By virtue of manifest superiority; by the highest right, claim, or qualification; preeminently. parfayt, interj. [ME., also parfei; Chaucer, Miller's Tale, 1. 495. parfilage (pär'fi-lāj), n. [F., parfiler , undo the threads, par , by, + filer , thread, rope: see file3 .] A pastime consisting in unraveling pieces of textile material, especially those which have gold or silver thread in their composition. The practice seems to have originated in an attempt to save the valuable material in the case of soiled or defaced stuffs; but it has sometimes become a sort of craze, especially in the eighteenth century, when women would beg from their friends new and valuable garments, galloons, and the like, that they might prosecute this amusement.