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Added 9 October 2026

purl

/pɜːl/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about purl at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Gold or silver wire thread.
A basic knitting stitch made by putting the needle through the front of the stich from the righthand side.

verb

Flow in a circular current, of liquids.
Make a murmuring sound.
the water was purling
Knit with a purl stitch.

Origin

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.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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