Parlor

Parlor, also spelled parlour in British English, originally referred to a formal sitting room in a private home where guests were received and conversations conducted. In American English, parlor is the common spelling and typically denotes a living room or drawing room, especially in older houses or in rural areas; parlour is still used in British English and in some proper nouns. The term derives from the French parloir, from parler meaning to speak, indicating a place for conversation and reception.

In addition to its architectural sense, parlor is widely used to describe commercial spaces that evoke a domestic atmosphere, such as an ice cream parlor, soda fountain parlor, or beauty parlor (now beauty salon). Funeral homes use the term funeral parlor as a business establishment for arranging services and hosting wakes.

Historical uses include parlor games, which are indoor games traditionally played in a house parlor; parlor organ or parlor piano, small instruments designed for domestic music-making and often placed in the parlor; and the parlor car, a railroad carriage with comfortable seating and amenities, popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Today, parlor retains formal connotations in houses and in business names, with regional variations in spelling and usage. It remains a term associated with both domestic space and specialized commercial functions.