† parnel Obs. exc. dial.
Forms: 4 pernele, purnele, 6 peronall, 7 parnell, pernel, 7–8 parnel, (9 dial. panel).
[a. OF. Peronele, Pernele:—L. Petronilla a woman's name, a saint so named; popularly viewed as a feminine deriv. of Petrus, Peter.]
A priest's concubine or mistress; a harlot; a wanton young woman.
| 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. iv. 102 Til lordes and ladies louen alle treuþe, And perneles porfyl be put in heore whucche. 1393 Ibid. C. xviii. 71 Of þat þat holychurche of þe olde lawe cleymeþ, Priestes on aparail and on purnele spenen. 1508 Dunbar Tua Mariit Wemen 231 A tender peronall, that myght na put thole. 1560–4 Becon Display. Popish Mass Wks. iii. 41 b, Your noppy Ale and Toste, which your prety Parnel hath ful louingly prepared for you against your Masse be done. 1606 Choice, Chance, etc. (1881) 70 His dainty Parnell hath no paragon. 1678 Phillips (ed. 4), Parnel,..an Appellation, particularly applied to any kind of wanton Woman. a 1800 Old Lincolnshire Ballad (Halliw.), Panels march by two and three, Saying, Sweetheart, come with me. |
b. prattling parnel: an old name for the plant London Pride (Saxifraga umbrosa).
| 1597 Gerarde Herbal ii. cclxiii. 645 Of our London dames pratling Parnell. |