-pur-

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Purred p. pr. & vb. n. Purring. ] [ Of imitative origin; cf. Prov. G. purren. ] To utter a low, murmuring, continued sound, as a cat does when pleased. [ Written also purr. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To signify or express by purring. Gray. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Skr. purā&unr_;, properly. old, ancient, fr. purā formerly. ] One of a class of sacred Hindoo poetical works in the Sanskrit language which treat of the creation, destruction, and renovation of worlds, the genealogy and achievements of gods and heroes, the reigns of the Manus, and the transactions of their descendants. The principal Puranas are eighteen in number, and there are the same number of supplementary books called Upa Puranas. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to the Puranas. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ So called from the Isle of Purbeck in England. ] (Geol.) The strata of the Purbeck stone, or Purbeck limestone, belonging to the Oolitic group. See the Chart of Geology. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Geol.) A limestone from the Isle of Purbeck in England. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ For pure-blind, i. e., wholly blind. See Pure, and cf. Poreblind. ] 1. Wholly blind. “Purblind Argus, all eyes and no sight.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Nearsighted, or dim-sighted; seeing obscurely; as, a purblind eye; a purblind mole. [ 1913 Webster ]

The saints have not so sharp eyes to see down from heaven; they be purblindand sand-blind. Latimer. [ 1913 Webster ]

O purblind race of miserable men. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Pur"blind`ly, adv. -- Pur"blind`ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) Purslane. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]