English Explanatory Dictionary

pure

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj

Free of flaws or imperfections; unsullied.
Free of foreign material or pollutants.
Free of immoral behavior or qualities; clean.
Mere; that and that only.
Done for its own sake instead of serving another branch of science.
Of a single, simple sound or tone; said of some vowels and the unaspirated consonants.
Without harmonics or overtones; not harsh or discordant.
Having no side effects.
A lot of.

adv

to a great extent or degree; extremely; exceedingly.

verb

To hit (the ball) completely cleanly and accurately.
To cleanse; to refine.

noun

One who, or that which, is pure.

noun

Alternative form of puer (“dung (e.g. of dogs)”).

Pronunciation

/ˈpjʊə(ɹ)/ /ˈpjɔː(ɹ)/ /ˈpjʊɹ/ /ˈpjoɹ/ /ˈpjɚ/ en-us-pure.ogg /ˈpjʉːə/ /ˈpjoː/ /ˈpjuː(ə)ɹ/ /ˈpɪʊ(ə)ɹ/ /pjʉːɹ/ /pjuːɹ/ /ˈpɪʊə(ɹ)/ /ˈpjɝ/ /ˈpjɜː/ /pjʊə/ /pjʊɹ/

Word forms

pure purer more pure purest most pure pures puring pured

Etymology

From Middle English pure, pur, from Old French pur, from Latin pūrus (“clean, free from dirt or filth, unmixed, plain”), from Proto-Indo-European *pewH- (“to cleanse, purify”). Displaced native Middle English lutter (“pure, clear, sincere”) (from Old English hlūtor, hluttor), Middle English skere (“pure, sheer, clear”) (from Old English scǣre and Old Norse skǣr), Middle English schir (“clear, pure”) (from Old English scīr), Middle English smete, smeate (“pure, refined”) (from Old English smǣte; compare Old English mǣre (“pure”)).

Synonyms

chaste cherry clean flawless halal ideal immaculate kosher mere natural perfect pristine pure simon-pure unadulterated unalloyed uncontaminated undefiled unpolluted unsullied untainted untouched virgin crude unrefined raw coarse unmixed unprocessed untreated utter innocent blameless clean-handed clean as a hound's tooth clean as a whistle clear dovelike guiltless innocent as the babe unborn innocent as the child unborn irreprehensible nonblameworthy not guilty offenseless righteous sackless sinless unblameable unblameworthy uncalculating unguilty alone bare only simple very

Antonyms

adulterated contaminated defiled denatured dirtied/dirty filthy flawed haram impure polluted sullied tainted treyf unclean dirty imperfect common corrupted mixed sophisticated corrupt guilty sinful at fault blameworthy censurable culpable nocent reprehensible to blame applied

Related words

purification purify purism purist puritan puritanism purity non-mixture

Derived words

as pure as the driven snow fullblood pure air pure and simple pure as driven snow pure as the driven snow pureblood pureblooded pure blue purebred pure-bred purebreed pure cancer pure collector pure country pure customer pure democracy pure ego pure endowment pure evil pure finder pure gatherer pure good pure-hearted pure imaginary number pure-impure pure laine pure land pure mathematics pure name pureness pure O pure-out pureplay pure-play pure quartz pure quill pure salvage pure science pure sex pure virtual function pure virtual method purey purie

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