purl

Noun

1. A particular stitch in knitting in which the working yarn is pulled through an existing stitch from front to back.
2. The edge of lace trimmed with loops.
3. 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

1. To decorate with fringe or embroidered edge
2. To use or create a purl stitch or stitches.

Verb

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

Verb

1. (intransitive) To flow with a murmuring sound in swirls and eddies.
2. To rise in circles, ripples, or undulations; to curl; to mantle.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/pɜːl/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: pirle

Cognate with Dutch: polder

Cognate with Norwegian: puldra

Cognate with Old English: polr

In summary

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.

Synonyms

murmur

babble

gurgle

stream

sough

purl stitch

whirl

whirlpool

eddy

ripple

swirl

brawl

seamy

swish

whisper

wrong

stitchwork

braid

chatter

chirp

flow

galloon

hum

knit

needlework

pearl

prill

run