1. A long and complicated and confusing procedure
   "all that academic palaver was a waste of time";
   - rigmarole, rigamarole [US]
    
2. [informal, rare] Flattery intended to persuade
   "The salesman used palaver to convince the customer to buy the expensive product";
   - blandishment, cajolery

1. Have a lengthy discussion, usually between people of different backgrounds
   "The diplomats palavered for hours to reach an agreement"
    
2. Speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly
   "The old man palavered on about the weather";
   - chatter, piffle [informal], prate, tittle-tattle, twaddle [informal], clack [informal], maunder, prattle, blab [informal], gibber, tattle, blabber [informal], gabble, vapour [Brit, Cdn], vapor [US], rabbit [Brit, informal], jibber-jabber, witter [Brit, informal], twattle [UK, dialect], yatter [Brit, informal], yabber [informal]
    
3. [informal, rare] Influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
   "He palavered her into going along";
   - wheedle, cajole, blarney, coax, sweet-talk [informal], inveigle

Derived forms: palavered, palavers, palavering

Type of: flattery, mouth, parley, persuade, procedure, process, speak, talk, utter, verbalise [Brit], verbalize

Encyclopedia: Palaver, a Romance of Northern Nigeria