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Webster 1913 Edition

Parsimony

Par′si-mo-ny

,
Noun.
[L.
parsimonia
,
parcimonia
; cf.
parcere
to spare,
parsus
sparing: cf. F.
parcimonie
.]
Closeness or sparingness in the expenditure of money; – generally in a bad sense; excessive frugality; niggardliness.
Bacon.
Awful
parsimony
presided generally at the table.
Thackeray.
Syn. – Economy; frugality; illiberality; covetousness; closeness; stinginess. See
Economy
.

Webster 1828 Edition

Parsimony

P`ARSIMONY

,
Noun.
[L. parsimonia, from parcus, saving,literally close; Eng. park.] Closeness or sparingness in the use or expenditure of money; sometimes used perhaps in a good sense, implying due or justifiable caution in expenditure, in which sense it differs little from frugality and economy. More generally, it denotes an excessive caution or closeness; in which case, it is allied to covetousness, but it implies less meanness than niggardliness. It generally implies some want of honorable liberality.
The ways to enrich are many; parsimony is one of the best, and yet is not innocent, for it withholdeth men from works of liberality.

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