Pert
/pɜːt/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An impudent person. obsolete
- 2 Acronym of program evaluation and review technique. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To behave with pertness; to misbehave. intransitive, obsolete
Adjective
- 1 Attractive.
- 2 Well-formed; shapely.
"pert breasts"
- 3 Lively; alert and cheerful; bright.
"Goe Philoſtrate, / Stirre vp the Athenian youth to merriments, / Awake the peart and nimble ſpirit of mirth, / Turne melancholy foorth to funerals: […]"
- 4 Especially of children or social inferiors: cheeky, impertinent. archaic
"Says Mrs. Jervis, Pamela, don’t be pert to his Honour? You ſhould know your Diſtance; you ſee his Honour was only in Jeſt."
- 5 Open; evident; unhidden. obsolete
"Some parled as perte · as prouyd well after, / And clappid more ffor þe coyne · þat þe kyng oweth hem / Thanne ffor comfforte of þe comyne […]"
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Clever. obsolete
Adjective
- 1 characterized by a lightly pert and exuberant quality wordnet
Example
More examples"Mary had a pert nose and deep blue eyes."
Etymology
From Middle English pert, perte, aphetic form of apert.