n. A diplomatic consultation, preliminary to a treaty.
the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
n. A consultation preliminary to a treaty.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
n. A preliminary conference of a more or less informal nature; a consultation preliminary to subsequent negotiation.
Word Usage
"David said, comprehending it all, and, when Lord Windlehurst appealed to her, offering by a word contribution to the 'pourparler', she was studying David as steadily as her heated senses would permit her."