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Purl

//pɜːl// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A particular stitch in knitting in which the working yarn is pulled through an existing stitch from front to back.
  2. 2
    a heavy or headlong fall; an upset.
  3. 3
    A circle made by the motion of a fluid; an eddy; a ripple. British, dialectal

    "Caiſters ſiluer Lake, / […] / VVhoſe ſtreame an eaſie breath doth ſeeme to blovve; / VVhich on the ſparkling grauell runns in purles, / As though the vvaues had been of ſiluer curles."

  4. 4
    Ale or beer spiced with wormwood or other bitter herbs, regarded as a tonic. British, archaic, dialectal, uncountable

    "A double mug of purle."

  5. 5
    a basic knitting stitch made by putting the needle through the front of the stitch from the righthand side wordnet
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  1. 6
    The edge of lace trimmed with loops.
  2. 7
    A gentle murmuring sound, such as that produced by the running of a liquid among obstructions. British, dialectal

    "the purl of a brook"

  3. 8
    Hot beer mixed with gin, sugar, and spices. British, archaic, dialectal, uncountable

    "Drank a glass of purl to recover appetite."

  4. 9
    gold or silver wire thread wordnet
  5. 10
    An embroidered and puckered border; a hem or fringe, often of gold or silver twist; also, a pleat or fold, as of a band.

    "A triumphant chariot made of carnation velvet, enriched with purl and pearl."

Verb
  1. 1
    To decorate with fringe or embroidered edge

    "Needlework purled with gold."

  2. 2
    To upset, to spin, capsize, fall heavily, fall headlong. archaic

    "The huntsman was purled from his horse."

  3. 3
    To flow with a murmuring sound in swirls and eddies. intransitive

    "Swift o'er the rolling pebbles, down the hills, / Louder and louder purl the falling rills."

  4. 4
    make a murmuring sound wordnet
  5. 5
    To use or create a purl stitch or stitches.

    "Knit one, purl two."

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  1. 6
    To rise in circles, ripples, or undulations; to curl; to mantle.

    "thin winding breath which purled up to the sky"

  2. 7
    embroider with gold or silver thread wordnet
  3. 8
    edge or border with gold or silver embroidery wordnet
  4. 9
    knit with a purl stitch wordnet
  5. 10
    flow in a circular current, of liquids wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

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

Etymology 2

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

Etymology 3

from Middle English pirle (“whirligig”), Middle Italian pirla (“whipping top”).

Etymology 4

from Middle English pirle (“whirligig”), Middle Italian pirla (“whipping top”).

Etymology 5

From Old Norse purla (“to babble”), possibly ultimately from an imitative Germanic base related to Dutch polder, Norwegian puldra (“to gush”) and pulla (“to bubble”), Old English polr (“marsh”).

Etymology 6

From Old Norse purla (“to babble”), possibly ultimately from an imitative Germanic base related to Dutch polder, Norwegian puldra (“to gush”) and pulla (“to bubble”), Old English polr (“marsh”).

Etymology 7

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

See also for "purl"

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