parable Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a short moral story (often with animal characters)
    allegory; apologue; fable.
  2. noun (New Testament) any of the stories told by Jesus to convey his religious message
    • the parable of the prodigal son

WordNet

Par"a*ble adjective
Etymology
L. parabilis, fr. parare to provide.
Definitions
  1. Procurable. Obs. Sir T. Browne.
Par"a*ble noun
Etymology
F. parabole, L. parabola, fr. Gr. a placing beside or together, a comparing, comparison, a parable, fr. to throw beside, compare; beside + to throw; cf. Skr. gal to drop. Cf. Emblem, Gland, Palaver, Parabola, Parley, Parabole, Symbol.
Definitions
  1. A comparison; a similitude; specifically, a short fictitious narrative of something which might really occur in life or nature, by means of which a moral is drawn; as, the parables of Christ. Chaucer.
    Declare unto us the parable of the tares. Matt. xiii. 36.
    Syn. -- See Allegory, and Note under Apologue.
Par"a*ble transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To represent by parable. R.
    Which by the ancient sages was thus parabled. Milton.

Webster 1913