Purl Definition

pûrl
pearls, purled, purling, purls
verb
purled, purling, purls
To knit (yarn) with a purl stitch.
American Heritage
Webster's New World
To move in ripples or with a murmuring sound.
Webster's New World
To edge or finish (a handkerchief, for example) with lace or embroidery.
American Heritage
To move in eddies; swirl.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
noun
purls
A purling stream or rill.
Webster's New World
The murmuring sound of purling water.
Webster's New World
A decorative edging of lace or embroidery.
American Heritage
An inversion of stitches in knitting to produce a more varied texture.
Webster's New World
Twisted metal thread, as of gold or silver, used in embroidery.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:

Other Word Forms of Purl

Noun

Singular:
purl
Plural:
purls

Origin of Purl

  • Etymology uncertain; apparently related to Scots and dialect pirl ("twist, ripple, whirl, spin"), and possibly to Older Scots pyrl ("thrust or poke at"). Compare Venetian pirlo, an embellishment where the woven threads are twisted together. May be unrelated to purfle, though the meanings are similar.

    From Wiktionary

  • from Middle English pirle (“whirligig"), Middle Italian pirla (“whipping top")

    From Wiktionary

  • Possibly from the pearl-like appearance caused by bubbles on the surface of the liquid.

    From Wiktionary

  • From Old Norse purla (“to babble")

    From Wiktionary

  • Probably of Scandinavian origin

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Origin unknown

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

Find Similar Words

Find similar words to purl using the buttons below.

Words Starting With

Words Ending With

Unscrambles

purl