Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

purl

/pɝl/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.24 in modern English

Syllables: purl
IPA: /pɝl/

6

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

1

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A particular stitch in knitting in which the working yarn is pulled through an existing stitch from front to back.

noun

The edge of lace trimmed with loops.

noun

An embroidered and puckered border; a hem or fringe, often of gold or silver twist; also, a pleat or fold, as of a band.

verb

To decorate with fringe or embroidered edge

verb

To use or create a purl stitch or stitches.

noun

a heavy or headlong fall; an upset.

verb

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

Archaic

verb

To flow with a murmuring sound in swirls and eddies.

Intransitive verb

Example Sentences

"A triumphant chariot made of carnation velvet, enriched with purl and pearl."
"Needlework purled with gold."
"Knit one, purl two."
"Stockinette fabric is created by knitting the right-side rows and purling the wrong-side rows."
"The huntsman was purled from his horse."
"Swift o'er the rolling pebbles, down the hills, / Louder and louder purl the falling rills."

Etymology

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.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: pirle, pirla, purla, -

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /pɝl/
British English: /pɜːl/

Usage

Inflected Forms

purls (plural) purls (present, singular) purling (participle, present) purled (participle, past) purled (past)

Derived Forms

purlwise unpurled

Frequently Paired Words

purler

Synonyms

purl stitch sough eddy whirlpool swirl whirl

Homonyms

pearl

Rhymes With

girl earl pearl mount pearl squirrel curl swirl merle whirl hurl searle twirl

Questions

How do you pronounce purl?: The recorded pronunciation is /pɝl/.
What does purl mean?: A particular stitch in knitting in which the working yarn is pulled through an existing stitch from front to back.
Where does purl come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce purl

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “purl”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/pɝl/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “purl”.
Repeat and practice — Say “purl” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.