What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Pull vs Purl - What's the difference?

pull | purl |

In intransitive terms the difference between pull and purl

is that pull is to row while purl is to flow with a murmuring sound in swirls and eddies.

As verbs the difference between pull and purl

is that pull is to apply a force to (an object) so that it comes toward the person or thing applying the force while purl is to decorate with fringe or embroidered edge.

As nouns the difference between pull and purl

is that pull is an act of pulling (applying force while purl is a particular stitch in knitting; an inversion of stitches giving the work a ribbed or waved appearance.

pull

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • to apply a force to (an object) so that it comes toward the person or thing applying the force
  • * Bible, Genesis viii. 9
  • He put forth his hand and pulled her in.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Ne'er pull your hat upon your brows.
  • To gather with the hand, or by drawing toward oneself; to pluck.
  • to pull''' fruit from a tree; to '''pull''' flax; to '''pull a finch
  • to apply a force such that an object comes toward the person or thing applying the force
  • You're going to have to pull harder to get that cork out of the bottle.
  • To attract or net; to pull in.
  • * Marcella Ridlen Ray, Changing and Unchanging Face of United States Civil Society
  • Television, a favored source of news and information, pulls the largest share of advertising monies.
  • To draw apart; to tear; to rend.
  • * Bible, Lam. iii. 11
  • He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate.
  • (ambitransitive, UK, Ireland, slang) to persuade (someone) to have sex with one
  • I pulled at the club last night.
    He's pulled that bird over there.
  • to remove (something), especially from public circulation or availability
  • Each day, they pulled the old bread and set out fresh loaves.
  • (informal) to do or perform
  • He regularly pulls 12-hour days, sometimes 14.
    You'll be sent home if you pull another stunt like that.
  • to retrieve or generate for use
  • I'll have to pull a part number for that.
  • * 2006 , Michael Bellomo, Joel Elad, How to Sell Anything on Amazon...and Make a Fortune!
  • They'll go through their computer system and pull a report of all your order fulfillment records for the time period you specify.
  • to toss a frisbee with the intention of launching the disc across the length of a field
  • to row
  • * 1874 , (Marcus Clarke), (For the Term of His Natural Life) Chapter VI
  • It had been a sort of race hitherto, and the rowers, with set teeth and compressed lips, had pulled stroke for stroke.
  • To strain (a muscle, tendon, ligament, etc.).
  • (video games, ambitransitive) To draw (a hostile non-player character) into combat, or toward or away from some location or target.
  • * 2003 April 9, "Richard Lawson" (username), " Monual's Willful Ignorance", in alt.games.everquest, Usenet:
  • …we had to clear a long hallway, run up half way, pull the boss mob to us, and engage.
  • * 2004 October 18, "Stush" (username), " Re: focus pull", in alt.games.dark-age-of-camelot, Usenet:
  • Basically buff pet, have it pull lots of mobs, shield pet, chain heal pet, have your aoe casters finish off hurt mobs once pet gets good aggro.
  • * 2005 August 2, "Brian" (username), " Re: How to tank Stratholme undead pulls?", in alt.games.warcraft, Usenet:
  • This is the only thing that should get you to break off from your position, is to pull something off the healer.
  • * 2007 April 10, "John Salerno" (username), " Re: Managing the Command Buttons", in alt.games.warcraft, Usenet:
  • You could also set a fire trap, pull the mob toward it, then send in your pet….
  • * 2008 August 18, "Mark (newsgroups)" (username), " Re: I'm a priest now!", in alt.games.warcraft, Usenet:
  • Shield yourself, pull' with Mind Blast if you want, or merely ' pull with SW:P to save mana, then wand, fear if you need to, but use the lowest rank fear.
  • to score a certain amount of points in a sport.
  • * How many points did you pull today, Albert?
  • (horse-racing) To hold back, and so prevent from winning.
  • The favourite was pulled .
  • (printing, dated) To take or make (a proof or impression); so called because hand presses were worked by pulling a lever.
  • (cricket) To strike the ball in a particular manner. (See noun sense.)
  • * R. H. Lyttelton
  • Never pull a straight fast ball to leg.
  • (UK, slang) To pour beer from a pump, keg, or other source.
  • Let's stop at Finnigan's. The barkeep ''pulls'' a good pint.

    Synonyms

    * drag, tow, tug, yank * score * (to remove from circulation) recall, withdraw, yank * (sense) carry out, complete, do, execute, perform * (to retrieve or generate for use) generate, get, get hold of, get one's hands on, lay one's hands on, obtain, retrieve * score

    Antonyms

    * push, repel, shove

    Derived terms

    See also pulling * it's not the whistle that pulls the train * overpull * pull a... * pull about * pull a face * pull a fast one * pull ahead * pull away * pull back * pull down * pull for * pull in * pulling * pull in one's horns * pull off * pull oneself together * pull one's weight * pull out * pull out all the stops * pull out of the fire * pull over * pull-quote * pull rank * pull round * pull somebody's leg * pull the other one * * pull the wool over someone's eyes * pull through * pull together * pull up

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An act of pulling (applying force)
  • He gave the hair a sharp pull and it came out.
  • * Jonathan Swift
  • I awakened with a violent pull upon the ring which was fastened at the top of my box.
  • An attractive force which causes motion towards the source
  • The spaceship came under the pull of the gas giant.
    iron fillings drawn by the pull of a magnet
    She took a pull on her cigarette.
  • Any device meant to be pulled, as a lever, knob, handle, or rope
  • a zipper pull
  • (slang, dated) Something in one's favour in a comparison or a contest; an advantage; means of influencing.
  • In weights the favourite had the pull .
  • Appeal or attraction (as of a movie star)
  • (Internet, uncountable) The situation where a client sends out a request for data from a server, as in server pull'', ''pull technology
  • A journey made by rowing
  • * 1874 , (Marcus Clarke), (For the Term of His Natural Life) Chapter V
  • As Blunt had said, the burning ship lay a good twelve miles from the Malabar, and the pull was a long and a weary one. Once fairly away from the protecting sides of the vessel that had borne them thus far on their dismal journey, the adventurers seemed to have come into a new atmosphere.
  • (dated) A contest; a struggle.
  • a wrestling pull
    (Carew)
  • (obsolete, poetic) Loss or violence suffered.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Two pulls at once; / His lady banished, and a limb lopped off.
  • (slang) The act of drinking.
  • to take a pull at a mug of beer
    (Charles Dickens)
  • (cricket) A kind of stroke by which a leg ball is sent to the off side, or an off ball to the side.
  • * R. A. Proctor
  • The pull is not a legitimate stroke, but bad cricket.

    Synonyms

    * (act of pulling) tug, yank * (attractive force) attraction * (device meant to be pulled) handle, knob, lever, rope * (influence) influence, sway

    Antonyms

    * (act of pulling) push, shove * (attractive force) repulsion * (device meant to be pulled) button, push, push button * (influence)

    Derived terms

    * on the pull * pull cord * ring-pull

    purl

    English

    Etymology 1

    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.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A particular stitch in knitting; an inversion of stitches giving the work a ribbed or waved appearance.
  • The edge of lace trimmed with loops.
  • An embroidered and puckered border; a hem or fringe, often of gold or silver twist; also, a pleat or fold, as of a band.
  • * Sir Philip Sidney
  • A triumphant chariot made of carnation velvet, enriched with purl and pearl.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To decorate with fringe or embroidered edge
  • Needlework purled with gold.
  • (knitting) an inverted stitch producing ribbing etc
  • Knit one, purl two.

    Etymology 2

    from (etyl)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • a heavy or headlong fall; an upset.
  • Verb

    (en verb)
  • (archaic) To upset, to spin, capsize, fall heavily, fall headlong.
  • The huntsman was purled from his horse.

    Etymology 3

    From (etyl)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To flow with a murmuring sound in swirls and eddies.
  • * Alexander Pope
  • Swift o'er the rolling pebbles, down the hills, / Louder and louder purl the falling rills.
  • To rise in circles, ripples, or undulations; to curl; to mantle.
  • * Shakespeare
  • thin winding breath which purled up to the sky

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (UK, dialect) A circle made by the motion of a fluid; an eddy; a ripple.
  • * Drayton
  • Whose stream an easy breath doth seem to blow, / Which on the sparkling gravel runs in purles , / As though the waves had been of silver curls.
  • (UK, dialect) A gentle murmuring sound, such as that produced by the running of a liquid among obstructions.
  • the purl of a brook

    Etymology 4

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

    Noun

    (-)
  • (archaic) Ale or beer spiced with wormwood or other bitter herbs, regarded as a tonic.
  • * The Spectator , number 88
  • A double mug of purle .
  • (archaic) Hot beer mixed with gin, sugar, and spices.
  • * Addison
  • Drank a glass of purl to recover appetite.
  • * Charles Dickens
  • Drinking hot purl , and smoking pipes.

    Etymology 5

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (UK, dialect) A tern.
  • (Webster 1913)

    Anagrams

    *