What does "purl" mean?
A particular stitch in knitting in which the working yarn is pulled through an existing stitch from front to back.
Purl
/pɜːl/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A particular stitch in knitting in which the working yarn is pulled through an existing stitch from front to back.
- Grammar: purl is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: purl stitch, adjoin, applique, babble.
- Useful contrasts: clamor, dry land, knit.
- Usage evidence: The voice spoke to him, and its softness was the purl of a wave lapping at the shore.
How to use "purl"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "purl" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "purl" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "purl" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "purl" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "purl" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "purl stitch" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "purl", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A particular stitch in knitting in which the working yarn is pulled through an existing stitch from front to back.
- 2 a heavy or headlong fall; an upset.
- 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 Ale or beer spiced with wormwood or other bitter herbs, regarded as a tonic. British, archaic, dialectal, uncountable
"A double mug of purle."
- 5 a basic knitting stitch made by putting the needle through the front of the stitch from the righthand side wordnet
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 The edge of lace trimmed with loops.
- 7 A gentle murmuring sound, such as that produced by the running of a liquid among obstructions. British, dialectal
"the purl of a brook"
- 8 Hot beer mixed with gin, sugar, and spices. British, archaic, dialectal, uncountable
"Drank a glass of purl to recover appetite."
- 9 gold or silver wire thread wordnet
- 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 To decorate with fringe or embroidered edge
"Needlework purled with gold."
- 2 To upset, to spin, capsize, fall heavily, fall headlong. archaic
"The huntsman was purled from his horse."
- 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 make a murmuring sound wordnet
- 5 To use or create a purl stitch or stitches.
"Knit one, purl two."
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 To rise in circles, ripples, or undulations; to curl; to mantle.
"thin winding breath which purled up to the sky"
- 7 embroider with gold or silver thread wordnet
- 8 edge or border with gold or silver embroidery wordnet
- 9 knit with a purl stitch wordnet
- 10 flow in a circular current, of liquids wordnet
Example
"The voice spoke to him, and its softness was the purl of a wave lapping at the shore."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "purl"?
Common synonyms include: purl stitch, adjoin, applique, babble, babble, befringe.
How do you use "purl" in a sentence?
The voice spoke to him, and its softness was the purl of a wave lapping at the shore.
How do you pronounce "purl"?
Pronounced /pɜːl/.
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
from Middle English pirle (“whirligig”), Middle Italian pirla (“whipping top”).
Etymology 3
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 4
Possibly from the pearl-like appearance caused by bubbles on the surface of the liquid.