purr


Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Acronyms, Idioms, Wikipedia.

purr

soft, vibrant sound made by a cat: She will sit in my lap and purr.
Not to be confused with:
per – to, for, or by each: one ticket per person; according to: per our agreement
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree

purr

 (pûr)
n.
1. The soft vibrant sound made by a cat.
2. A sound similar to that made by a cat: the purr of an engine.
v. purred, purr·ing, purrs
v.intr.
To make or utter a soft vibrant sound: The cat purred. The sewing machine purred.
v.tr.
To express by a soft vibrant sound.

[Imitative.]
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.

purr

(pɜː)
vb
1. (Zoology) (intr) (esp of cats) to make a low vibrant sound, usually considered as expressing pleasure, etc
2. (Zoology) (tr) to express (pleasure, etc) by this sound
n
a purring sound
[C17: of imitative origin; compare French ronronner to purr, German schnurren, Dutch snorren]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

purr

(pɜr)

n.
1. the low, continuous, vibrating sound a cat makes, as when contented.
2. any similar sound, esp. one expressive of ease or contentment: the purr of the new motor.
v.i.
3. to utter such a sound.
4. to speak in a murmuring tone, esp. one indicative of smugness or malice.
v.t.
5. to express in or as if in a purr.
[1595–1605; imitative]
purr′ing•ly, adv.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

purr


Past participle: purred
Gerund: purring

Imperative
purr
purr
Present
I purr
you purr
he/she/it purrs
we purr
you purr
they purr
Preterite
I purred
you purred
he/she/it purred
we purred
you purred
they purred
Present Continuous
I am purring
you are purring
he/she/it is purring
we are purring
you are purring
they are purring
Present Perfect
I have purred
you have purred
he/she/it has purred
we have purred
you have purred
they have purred
Past Continuous
I was purring
you were purring
he/she/it was purring
we were purring
you were purring
they were purring
Past Perfect
I had purred
you had purred
he/she/it had purred
we had purred
you had purred
they had purred
Future
I will purr
you will purr
he/she/it will purr
we will purr
you will purr
they will purr
Future Perfect
I will have purred
you will have purred
he/she/it will have purred
we will have purred
you will have purred
they will have purred
Future Continuous
I will be purring
you will be purring
he/she/it will be purring
we will be purring
you will be purring
they will be purring
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been purring
you have been purring
he/she/it has been purring
we have been purring
you have been purring
they have been purring
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been purring
you will have been purring
he/she/it will have been purring
we will have been purring
you will have been purring
they will have been purring
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been purring
you had been purring
he/she/it had been purring
we had been purring
you had been purring
they had been purring
Conditional
I would purr
you would purr
he/she/it would purr
we would purr
you would purr
they would purr
Past Conditional
I would have purred
you would have purred
he/she/it would have purred
we would have purred
you would have purred
they would have purred
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.purr - a low vibrating sound typical of a contented cat
sound - the sudden occurrence of an audible event; "the sound awakened them"
Verb1.purr - make a soft swishing sound; "the motor whirred"; "the car engine purred"
sound, go - make a certain noise or sound; "She went `Mmmmm'"; "The gun went `bang'"
2.purr - indicate pleasure by purringpurr - indicate pleasure by purring; characteristic of cats
resonate, vibrate - sound with resonance; "The sound resonates well in this theater"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations
قَرْقَرَه، خَرْخَرَهيُخَرْخِريُقَرْقِر، يُخَرْخِر
přístpředení
spindespinden
kehrätä
presti
doromboldorombolás
malmala
ゴロゴロとのどを鳴らす
가르랑거리다
murkimasmurktiparpimasparpti
murrāšanamurrātņurrāšanaņurrāt
pradenie
presti
spinna
เสียงที่แสดงความพอใจ
mırıldamakmırıldanmakmırıltımırlama
rên gừ gừ

purr

[pɜːʳ]
A. Nronroneo m
B. VI [cat, engine] → ronronear
C. VT (= say) → susurrar, decir suavemente
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

purr

[ˈpɜːr]
n [cat] → ronronnement m
[engine] → ronronnement m
vi
[cat] → ronronner
[engine] → ronronner
[person] (with pleasure, satisfaction)ronronner
to purr with pleasure → ronronner de plaisir
to purr with satisfaction → ronronner de satisfaction
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

purr

vi (cat, fig: person) → schnurren; (engine)surren
vt (= say)säuseln
nSchnurren nt no pl, → Surren nt no pl
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

purr

[pɜːʳ]
1. n (of cat) → le fusa fpl
2. vifar le fusa
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

purr

(pəː) verb
to make the low, murmuring sound of a cat when it is pleased.
noun
such a sound.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

purr

يُخَرْخِر příst spinde schnurren γουργουρίζω ronronear kehrätä ronronner presti fare le fusa ゴロゴロとのどを鳴らす 가르랑거리다 spinnen male mruknąć ronronar урчать spinna เสียงที่แสดงความพอใจ mırıldanmak rên gừ gừ 猫打呼噜
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
References in classic literature ?
Unhesitatingly, he stepped into the tangle of branches close to the panther's side, still voicing his friendly and conciliatory purr. The cat turned his head toward the man, eyeing him steadily--questioningly.
Later in the day the scent of a deer sent Tarzan into the trees, and when he had dropped his noose about the animal's neck he called to Sheeta, using a purr similar to that which he had utilized to pacify the brute's suspicions earlier in the day, but a trifle louder and more shrill.
At such times, under an abated sun; afloat all day upon smooth, slow heaving swells; seated in his boat, light as a birch canoe; and so sociably mixing with the soft waves themselves, that like hearth-stone cats they purr against the gunwale; these are the times of dreamy quietude, when beholding the tranquil beauty and brilliancy of the ocean's skin, one forgets the tiger heart that pants beneath it; and would not willingly remember, that this velvet paw but conceals a remorseless fang.
He coolly curled up in Anne's lap and began to purr.
Not that the bride was displeased with the embraces of her amorous bridegroom; for, though some have remarked that cats are subject to ingratitude, yet women and cats too will be pleased and purr on certain occasions.
Their prodigious bounds and the shrill, screeching purr of their uncanny mouths were well calculated to confuse and terrorize their prey, so that as two of them leaped simultaneously from either side, the mighty sweep of those awful tails met with no resistance and two more green Martians went down to an ignoble death.
Most mellifluously did he purr as we crowded around to stroke him; with friendly joy he licked our hands with his little red tongue; poor Paddy was a thankful cat; he was no longer lost, starving, imprisoned, helpless; he was with his comrades once more and he was going home--home to his old familiar haunts of orchard and dairy and granary, to his daily rations of new milk and cream, to the cosy corner of his own fireside.
A loud purr, like the singing of a tea-kettle or the hum of a spinning-wheel, testified that she was as comfortable and happy as a cat could be.
He was so large and effulgent that one hardly missed the sun, and his resounding purrs formed a pleasant accompaniment to the laughter and conversation which went on around Captain Jim's fireplace.
Because, when we were playing just now, you watched just as if you understood it: and when I said "Check!" you purred! Well, it WAS a nice check, Kitty, and really I might have won, if it hadn't been for that nasty Knight, that came wiggling down among my pieces.
With a word of farewell he touched the button which controlled the repulsive rays, and as the flier rose lightly into the air, the engine purred in answer to the touch of his finger upon a second button, the propellers whirred as his hand drew back the speed lever, and Carthoris, Prince of Helium, was off into the gorgeous Martian night beneath the hurtling moons and the million stars.
And Schurka growled, and was of opinion that he would like to tear everyone in pieces; but Waska purred meditatively, and scratched the back of her ear with a velvet paw, and remained lost in thought.