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Purl vs Purly - What's the difference?

purl | purly |

As nouns the difference between purl and purly

is that purl is a particular stitch in knitting; an inversion of stitches giving the work a ribbed or waved appearance while purly is obsolete spelling of purlieu.

As a verb purl

is to decorate with fringe or embroidered edge.

As an adverb purly is

obsolete spelling of purely.

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.
    Related terms
    * purler

    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

    *

    purly

    English

    Noun

    (head)

    • Adverb

    (head)