Emily Dickinson Lexicon

PUR'PLISH, a.

Somewhat purple. – Boyle.

PUR'PORT, n. [Fr. pour, for, and porter, to bear.]

1. Design or tendency; as, the purport of Plato's dialogue. – Norris.
2. Meaning; import; as, the purport of a word or phrase.

PUR'PORT, v.t.

1. To intend; to intend to show. – Bacon.
2. To mean; to signify.

PUR'PORT-ED, pp.

Designed; intended; meant.

PUR'PORT-ING, ppr.

Designing; intending; importing.

PUR'POSE, n. [Fr. propos; Sp. and It. proposito; propositum, propono; pro, before, and pono, to set or place.]

1. That which a person sets before himself as an object to be reached or accomplished; the end or aim to which the view is directed in any plan, measure or exertion. We believe the Supreme Being created intelligent beings for some benevolent and glorious purpose, and if so, how glorious and benevolent must be his purpose in the plan of redemption! The ambition of men is generally directed to one of two purposes, or to both; the acquisition of wealth or of power. We build houses for the purpose of shelter; we labor for the purpose of subsistence.
2. Intention; design. This sense, however, is hardly to be distinguished from the former; as, purpose always includes the end in view. Every purpose is established by counsel. – Prov. xx. Being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. – Eph. i.
3. End; effect; consequence, good or bad. What good purpose will this answer? We sometimes labor to no purpose. Men often employ their time, talents and money for very evil purposes. To what purpose is this waste? – Matth. xxvi.
4. Instance; example. [Not in use.]
5. Conversation. [Not in use.] – Spenser. Of purpose, on purpose, with previous design; with the mind directed to that object. On purpose is more generally used, but the true phrase is of purpose.

PUR'POSE, v.t.

To intend; to design; to resolve; to determine on some end or object to be accomplished. I have purposed it, I will also do it. – Is. xlvi. Eph. iii. Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem. – Acts xix.

PUR'POS-ED, pp.

1. Intended; designed; applied to things.
2. Resolved; having formed a design or resolution; applied to persons. I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. – Ps. xvii.

PUR'POSE-LESS, a.

Having no effect, or purpose. – Hall.

PUR'POSE-LY, adv.

By design; intentionally; with predetermination. In composing this discourse, I purposely declined all offensive and displeasing truths. – Atterbury. So much they scorn the crowd, that if the throng / By chance go right, they purposely go wrong. – Pope.

PUR'POS-ING, ppr.

Intending; designing; resolving.

PUR'PRES-TURE, n. [from Fr. pour and prendre, pris, to take.]

In law, a nuisance, consisting in an inclosure of or encroachment on something that belongs to the public; as a house erected or inclosure made on the king's demesnes, or of a highway, &c. Blackstone.

PUR'PRISE, n. [Fr. pourpris, supra.]

A close or inclosure; also, the whole compass of a manor. – Bacon.

PUR'PU-RATE, n.

A compound of purpuric acid and a salifiable base. – Ure.

PUR'PURE, n.

In heraldry, purple, represented in engraving by diagonal lines from right to left.

PUR'PUR-IC, a. [so called from the purple color of its salts.]

Purpuric acid is produced by the action of nitric acid upon the lithic or uric acid. – Dr. Prout.

PURR, n.

A sea lark. – Ainsworth.

PURR, v.i.

To murmur as a cat. [See Pur.]

PURRE, n.

Ciderkin or perkin; the liquor made by steeping the gross matter of pressed apples. – Encyc.

PUR'RING, ppr.

Murmuring as a cat.

PURSE, n. [purs; Fr. bourse; It. borsa; Sp. and Port. bolsa; D. beurs; G. börse; Dan. börs; L. byrsa, an ox hide; Gr. βυρσα, id. Qu.]

1. A small bag in which money is contained or carried in the pocket. It was formerly made of leather, and is still made of this material by common people. It is usually of silk net-work.
2. A sum of money offered as the prize of winning in a horse race.
3. In Turkey, a sum of money, about £50 sterling, or $222.
4. The public coffers; the treasury; as, to exhaust a nation's purse, or the public purse. Long purse, or heavy purse, wealth; riches. Light purse, or empty purse, poverty, or want of resources. Sword and purse, the military power and wealth of a nation.

PURSE, v.t.

1. To put in a purse. – Dryden. Milton.
2. To contract into folds or wrinkles. Thou didst contract and purse thy brow. – Shak.

PURS'ED, pp.

1. Put in a purse.
2. Contracted into folds or wrinkles.

PURSE'-NET, n. [purs'net.]

A net, the mouth of which may be closed or drawn together like a purse. – Mortimer.

PURSE'-PRIDE, n.

Pride of money; insolence proceeding from the possession of wealth. – Hall.