Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

paravail

American  
[par-uh-veyl, par-uh-veyl] / ˌpær əˈveɪl, ˈpær əˌveɪl /

adjective

Old English Law.

  1. being below or inferior to all others; specifically, being a tenant of one who holds land of another who is also a tenant.

    a tenant paravail.

Etymology

Origin of paravail

1525–35; < Old French par aval down (of direction, position), equivalent to par through, by ( per- ) + aval, a val down < Latin ad vallem literally, to the valley

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.