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parting shot

 

n.
An act of aggression or retaliation, such as a retort or threat, that is made upon one's departure or at the end of a heated discussion.


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A final insult or last word in an argument, as in As she stalked out, Jane hurled as a parting shot, "And I quit!" This idiom apparently originated as a corruption of Parthian shot, referring to the practice of ancient Parthian warriors of turning back to shoot at their pursuers. [Late 1800s]

 
 

 

Copyrights:

American Heritage Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more

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