purfle
Also found in: Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
pur·fle
(pûr′fəl)tr.v. pur·fled, pur·fling, pur·fles
To finish or decorate the border or edge of.
[Middle English purfilen, from Old French porfiler, from Vulgar Latin *prōfīlāre : Latin prō-, forth; see pro-1 + Latin fīlum, thread; see gwhī- in Indo-European roots.]
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.
purfle
(ˈpɜːfəl)n
1. (Clothing & Fashion) a ruffled or curved ornamental band, as on clothing, furniture, etc
2. (Art Terms) a ruffled or curved ornamental band, as on clothing, furniture, etc
vb
3. (Clothing & Fashion) (tr) to decorate with such a band or bands
4. (Art Terms) (tr) to decorate with such a band or bands
[C14: from Old French purfiler to decorate with a border, from filer to spin, from fil thread, from Latin fīlum]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
pur•fle
(ˈpɜr fəl)v. -fled, -fling,
n. v.t.
1. to finish with an ornamental border.
n. 2. Also called pur′fling. an ornamental border, as an inlaid border on a stringed instrument.
[1275–1325; Middle English purfilen < Middle French porfiler to make or adorn a border =por- pro-1 + filer to spin, derivative of fil thread < Latin fīlum. compare profile]
pur′fler, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
purfle
Past participle: purfled
Gerund: purfling
| Imperative |
|---|
| purfle |
| purfle |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011