In early practice, imparlance meant time given to either of the parties to an action to answer the pleading of the other. It thus amounted to a continuance of the action to a further day. Literally the term signified leave given to the parties to talk together; i. e., with a view to settling their differences amicably. But in modern practice it denotes a time given to the defendant to plead
Source: Black’s Law Dictionary 2nd Ed (1910)
