Purr vs Purl - What's the difference?
purr | purl |
Of a cat, to make a vibrating sound in its throat when contented.
To say (something) in a throaty, seductive manner.
* 2008 , C. E. Osborne, Black Gold Death in the Sun (page 12)
To make a vibrating throaty sound, as from pleasure.
(of an engine) To make a low and consistent rumbling sound.
* 2001 , E. C. Craver, Last Reunion (page 159)
The vibrating sound made by a cat in its throat when contented.
* 1918 , Sarath Kumar Ghosh, The wonders of the jungle - Volume 2 (page 113)
A throaty, seductive sound of pleasure made by a person.
* 2006 , Brenda Williamson, Wolverton Blood (page 53)
The low consistent rumble made by an engine at slow speed
* 1997 , Susan Wood, A Fly in Amber (page 191)
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
To decorate with fringe or embroidered edge
(knitting) an inverted stitch producing ribbing etc
(archaic) To upset, to spin, capsize, fall heavily, fall headlong.
To flow with a murmuring sound in swirls and eddies.
* Alexander Pope
To rise in circles, ripples, or undulations; to curl; to mantle.
* Shakespeare
(UK, dialect) A circle made by the motion of a fluid; an eddy; a ripple.
* Drayton
(UK, dialect) A gentle murmuring sound, such as that produced by the running of a liquid among obstructions.
(archaic) Ale or beer spiced with wormwood or other bitter herbs, regarded as a tonic.
* The Spectator , number 88
(archaic) Hot beer mixed with gin, sugar, and spices.
* Addison
* Charles Dickens
In intransitive terms the difference between purr and purl
is that purr is to make a vibrating throaty sound, as from pleasure while purl is to flow with a murmuring sound in swirls and eddies.purr
English
Verb
(en verb)- "This is Cindy," she purred again, flashing a smile of perfect white teeth surrounded by full red lips.
- Beverly passed the city limits sign with the Porsche's motor purring contentedly after its two hundred and fifty-mile romp.
Derived terms
* purrer * purr like a kittenNoun
(en noun)- Instead, the tiger looked around, and gave a purr , and then a growl. What did that mean? The man could not tell. Then the tiger just flung upon the man some of the sand from the side of the hollow.
- The trill of her purr echoed inside his mouth when he kissed her again. Clutching at his shirt, her fingers traveled the muscles in his back.
- I sat still in the car and listened to the soft purr of the engine and my beating heart. Then slowly, and as silently as possible, I drove the car back to camp.
Derived terms
* purrlikeSee also
* meow English onomatopoeiaspurl
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 triumphant chariot made of carnation velvet, enriched with purl and pearl.
Verb
(en verb)- Needlework purled with gold.
- Knit one, purl two.
Etymology 2
from (etyl)Verb
(en verb)- The huntsman was purled from his horse.
Etymology 3
From (etyl)Verb
(en verb)- Swift o'er the rolling pebbles, down the hills, / Louder and louder purl the falling rills.
- thin winding breath which purled up to the sky
Noun
(en noun)- 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.
- the purl of a brook
Etymology 4
Possibly from the pearl-like appearance caused by bubbles on the surface of the liquid.Noun
(-)- A double mug of purle .
- Drank a glass of purl to recover appetite.
- Drinking hot purl , and smoking pipes.