purlieu
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pur·lieu
(pûrl′yo͞o, pûr′lo͞o)n.
1. An outlying or neighboring area.
2. purlieus Outskirts; the environs.
3. A place that one frequents.
[Middle English purlewe, piece of land on the edge of a forest, probably alteration (influenced by Old French lieu, place) of porale, purale, royal perambulation, from Old French porale, from poraler, to traverse : por-, forth (from Latin prō-; see pro-1) + aler, aller, to go; see alley1.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
purlieu
(ˈpɜːljuː)n
1. (Historical Terms) English history land on the edge of a forest that was once included within the bounds of the royal forest but was later separated although still subject to some of the forest laws, esp regarding hunting
2. (Human Geography) (usually plural) a neighbouring area; outskirts
3. (often plural) a place one frequents; haunt
4. (Human Geography) rare a district or suburb, esp one that is poor or squalid
[C15 purlewe, from Anglo-French puralé a going through (influenced also by Old French lieu place), from Old French puraler to traverse, from pur through + aler to go]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
pur•lieu
(ˈpɜr lu, ˈpɜrl yu)n., pl. -lieus.
1. purlieus, environs or neighborhood.
2. a place frequented by a person; haunt.
3. an outlying district of a town or city.
4. a piece of land on the edge of a forest, orig. land once part of a royal forest restored to private ownership.
[1475–85; alter. (simulating French lieu place) of earlier parlewe, parley, paraley purlieu of a forest < Anglo-French purale(e) a going through]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Noun | 1. | purlieu - an outer adjacent area of any place geographic area, geographic region, geographical area, geographical region - a demarcated area of the Earth |
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