Chapter 1237

2. To obtain by paying money or its equivalent; to buy for a price; as, to purchase land, or a house .

The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth. Gen. xxv. 10.

3. To obtain by any outlay, as of labor, danger, or sacrifice, etc.; as, to purchase favor with flattery .

One poor retiring minute . . . Would purchase thee a thousand thousand friends. Shak.

A world who would not purchase with a bruise? Milton.

4. To expiate by a fine or forfeit. [Obs.]

Not tears nor prayers shall purchase out abuses. Shak.

5. (Law) (a) To acquire by any means except descent or inheritance. Blackstone . (b) To buy for a price.

6. To apply to (anything) a device for obtaining a mechanical advantage; to get a purchase upon, or apply a purchase to; as, to purchase a cannon .

Purchase <Xpage=1164>

Pur"chase , v. i. 1. To put forth effort to obtain anything; to strive; to exert one's self. [Obs.]

Duke John of Brabant purchased greatly that the Earl of Flanders should have his daughter in marriage. Ld. Berners.

2. To acquire wealth or property. [Obs.]

Sure our lawyers Would not purchase half so fast. J. Webster.

Purchase <Xpage=1164>

Pur"chase (?; 48) , n. [OE. purchds , F. pourchas eager pursuit. See Purchase , v. t. ] 1. The act of seeking, getting, or obtaining anything. [Obs.]

I'll . . . get meat to have thee, Or lose my life in the purchase . Beau. & Fl.

2. The act of seeking and acquiring property.

3. The acquisition of title to, or properly in, anything for a price; buying for money or its equivalent.

It is foolish to lay out money in the purchase of repentance. Franklin.

4. That which is obtained, got, or acquired, in any manner, honestly or dishonestly; property; possession; acquisition.

Chaucer. B. Jonson.

We met with little purchase upon this coast, except two small vessels of Golconda. De Foe.

A beauty-waning and distressed widow . . . Made prize and purchase of his lustful eye. Shak.

5. That which is obtained for a price in money or its equivalent. "The scrip was complete evidence of his right in the purchase ."

Wheaton.

6. Any mechanical hold, or advantage, applied to the raising or removing of heavy bodies, as by a lever, a tackle, capstan, and the like; also, the apparatus, tackle, or device by which the advantage is gained.

A politician, to do great things, looks for a power -- what our workmen call a purchase . Burke.

7. (Law) Acquisition of lands or tenements by other means than descent or inheritance, namely, by one's own act or agreement.

Blackstone.

Purchase criminal , robbery. [Obs.] Spenser . -- Purchase money , the money paid, or contracted to be paid, for anything bought. Berkeley . -- Worth, &or; At , [so many] years' purchase , a phrase by which the value or cost of a thing is expressed in the length of time required for the income to amount to the purchasing price; as, he bought the estate at a twenty years' purchase. To say one's life is not worth a day's purchase in the same as saying one will not live a day, or is in imminent peril.

Purchaser <Xpage=1164>

Pur"chas*er (?) , n. 1. One who purchases; one who acquires property for a consideration, generally of money; a buyer; a vendee.

2. (Law) One who acquires an estate in lands by his own act or agreement, or who takes or obtains an estate by any means other than by descent or inheritance.

Purdah <Xpage=1164>

Pur"dah (?) , n. [Per. parda a curtain.] A curtain or screen; also, a cotton fabric in blue and white stripes, used for curtains.

McElrath.

Pure <Xpage=1164>

Pure (?) , a. [ Compar. Purer (?) ; superl. Purest .] [OE. pur , F. pur , fr. L. purus ; akin to putus pure, clear, putare to clean, trim, prune, set in order, settle, reckon, consider, think, Skr. p<?/ to clean, and perh. E. fire . Cf. Putative .] 1. Separate from all heterogeneous or extraneous matter; free from mixture or combination; clean; mere; simple; unmixed; as, pure water; pure clay; pure air; pure compassion.

The pure fetters on his shins great. Chaucer.

A guinea is pure gold if it has in it no alloy. I. Watts.

2. Free from moral defilement or quilt; hence, innocent; guileless; chaste; -- applied to persons. "Keep thyself pure ."

1 Tim. v. 22.

Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience. 1 Tim. i. 5.

3. Free from that which harms, vitiates, weakens, or pollutes; genuine; real; perfect; -- applied to things and actions. " Pure religion and impartial laws." Tickell . "The pure , fine talk of Rome." Ascham .

Such was the origin of a friendship as warm and pure as any that ancient or modern history records. Macaulay.

4. (Script.) Ritually clean; fitted for holy services.

Thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the Lord. Lev. xxiv. 6.

5. (Phonetics) Of a single, simple sound or tone; -- said of some vowels and the unaspirated consonants.

Pure-impure , completely or totally impure. "The inhabitants were pure-impure pagans." Fuller . -- Pure blue . (Chem.) See Methylene blue , under Methylene . -- Pure chemistry . See under Chemistry . -- Pure mathematics , that portion of mathematics which treats of the principles of the science, or contradistinction to applied mathematics , which treats of the application of the principles to the investigation of other branches of knowledge, or to the practical wants of life. See Mathematics . Davies & Peck (Math. Dict. ) -- Pure villenage (Feudal Law) , a tenure of lands by uncertain services at the will of the lord. Blackstone .

Syn. -- Unmixed; clear; simple; real; true; genuine; unadulterated; uncorrupted; unsullied; untarnished; unstained; stainless; clean; fair; unspotted; spotless; incorrupt; chaste; unpolluted; undefiled; immaculate; innocent; guiltless; guileless; holy.

Pured <Xpage=1164>

Pured (?) , a. Purified; refined. [Obs.] "Bread of pured wheat." " Pured gold."

Chaucer.

Pur\'82e <Xpage=1164>

Pu`r\'82e" (?) , n. [F.] A dish made by boiling any article of food to a pulp and rubbing it through a sieve; as, a pur\'82e of fish, or of potatoes ; especially, a soup the thickening of which is so treated.

Purely <Xpage=1164>

Pure"ly (?) , adv. 1. In a pure manner (in any sense of the adjective).

2. Nicely; prettily. [Archaic]

Halliwell.

Pureness <Xpage=1164>

Pure"ness , n. The state of being pure (in any sense of the adjective).

Purfile <Xpage=1164>

Pur"file (?) , n. [See Purfle .] A sort of ancient trimming of tinsel and thread for women's gowns; -- called also bobbinwork . [Obs.]

Piers Plowman.

Purfle <Xpage=1164>

Pur"fle (?) , v. t. [OF. pourfiler ; pour for + fil a thread, L. filum . See Profile , and cf. Purl a border.] 1. To decorate with a wrought or flowered border; to embroider; to ornament with metallic threads; as, to purfle with blue and white .

P. Plowman.

A goodly lady clad in scarlet red, Purfled with gold and pearl of rich assay. Spenser.

2. (Her.) To ornament with a bordure of emines, furs, and the like; also, with gold studs or mountings.

Purfle, Purflew <Xpage=1164>

Pur"fle (?) , Pur"flew (?) , n. 1. A hem, border., or trimming, as of embroidered work.

2. (Her.) A border of any heraldic fur.

Purfled <Xpage=1164>

Pur"fled (?) , a. Ornamented; decorated; esp., embroidered on the edges.

Purfled work (Arch.) , delicate tracery, especially in Gothic architecture.

Purfling <Xpage=1164>

Pur"fling (?) , n. Ornamentation on the border of a thing; specifically, the inlaid border of a musical instrument, as a violin.

Purgament <Xpage=1164>

Pur"ga*ment (?) , n. [L. purgamentum offscourings, washings, expiatory sacrifice. See Purge .] 1. That which is excreted; excretion. [Obs.]

2. (Med.) A cathartic; a purgative. [Obs.]

Bacon.

Purgation <Xpage=1164>

Pur*ga"tion (?) , n. [L. purgatio : cf. F. purgation . See Purge .] 1. The act of purging; the act of clearing, cleansing, or putifying, by separating and carrying off impurities, or whatever is superfluous; the evacuation of the bowels.

2. (Law) The clearing of one's self from a crime of which one was publicly suspected and accused. It was either canonical , which was prescribed by the canon law, the form whereof used in the spiritual court was, that the person suspected take his oath that he was clear of the matter objected against him, and bring his honest neighbors with him to make oath that they believes he swore truly; or vulgar , which was by fire or water ordeal, or by combat. See Ordeal .

Wharton.

Let him put me to my purgation . Shak.

Purgative <Xpage=1164>

Pur"ga*tive (?) , a [L. purgativus : cf. F. purgatif .] Having the power or quality of purging; cathartic. -- n. (Med.) A purging medicine; a cathartic.

Purgatively <Xpage=1164>

Pur"ga*tive*ly , adv. In a purgative manner.

Purgatorial, Purgatorian <Xpage=1164>

Pur`ga*to"ri*al (?) , Pur`ga*to"ri*an (?) , a. Of or pertaining to purgatory; expiatory.

Purgatorian <Xpage=1164>

Pur`ga*to"ri*an , n. One who holds to the doctrine of purgatory.

Boswell.

Purgatory <Xpage=1164>

Pur"ga*to*ry (?) , a. [L. purgatorius .] Tending to cleanse; cleansing; expiatory.

Burke.

Purgatory <Xpage=1164>

Pur"ga*to*ry , n. [Cf. F. purgatoire .] A state or place of purification after death; according to the Roman Catholic creed, a place, or a state believed to exist after death, in which the souls of persons are purified by expiating such offenses committed in this life as do not merit eternal damnation, or in which they fully satisfy the justice of God for sins that have been forgiven. After this purgation from the impurities of sin, the souls are believed to be received into heaven.

Purge <Xpage=1164>

Purge (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Purged (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Purging (?) .] [F. purger , L. purgare ; purus pure + agere to make, to do. See Pure , and Agent .] 1. To cleanse, clear, or purify by separating and carrying off whatever is impure, heterogeneous, foreign, or superfluous. "Till fire purge all things new."

Milton.

2. (Med.) To operate on as, or by means of, a cathartic medicine, or in a similar manner.

3. To clarify; to defecate, as liquors.

4. To clear of sediment, as a boiler, or of air, as a steam pipe, by driving off or permitting escape.

5. To clear from guilt, or from moral or ceremonial defilement; as, to purge one of guilt or crime .

When that he hath purged you from sin. Chaucer.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. Ps. li. 7.

6. (Law) To clear from accusation, or the charge of a crime or misdemeanor, as by oath or in ordeal.

7. To remove in cleansing; to deterge; to wash away; -- often followed by away .

Purge away our sins, for thy name's sake. Ps. lxxix. 9.

We 'll join our cares to purge away Our country's crimes. Addison.

Purge <Xpage=1164>

Purge , v. i. 1. To become pure, as by clarification.

2. To have or produce frequent evacuations from the intestines, as by means of a cathartic.

Purge <Xpage=1164>

Purge , n. [Cf. F. purge . See Purge , v. t. ] 1. The act of purging.

The preparative for the purge of paganism of the kingdom of Northumberland. Fuller.

2. That which purges; especially, a medicine that evacuates the intestines; a cathartic.

Arbuthnot.

Purger <Xpage=1164>

Pur"ger (?) , n. One who, or that which, purges or cleanses; especially, a cathartic medicine.

Purgery <Xpage=1164>

Pur"ger*y (?) , n. The part of a sugarhouse where the molasses is drained off from the sugar.

Purging <Xpage=1164>

Pur"ging (?) , a. That purges; cleansing.

Purging flax (Bot.) , an annual European plant of the genus Linum ( L. catharticum ); dwarf wild flax; -- so called from its use as a cathartic medicine.

Purging <Xpage=1164>

Pur"ging , n. (Med.) The act of cleansing; excessive evacuations; especially, diarrhea.

Puri <Xpage=1164>

Pur"i (?) , n. (Chem.) See Euxanthin .

Purification <Xpage=1164>

Pu`ri*fi*ca"tion (?) , n. [F. purification , L. purificatio . See Purify .] 1. The act of purifying; the act or operation of separating and removing from anything that which is impure or noxious, or heterogeneous or foreign to it; as, the purification of liquors, or of metals .

2. The act or operation of cleansing ceremonially, by removing any pollution or defilement.

When the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished. Luke ii. 22.

3. A cleansing from guilt or the pollution of sin; the extinction of sinful desires, appetites, and inclinations.

Purificative <Xpage=1164>

Pu"ri*fi*ca*tive (?) , a. [Cf. F. purificatif .] Having power to purify; tending to cleanse. [R.]

Purificator <Xpage=1164>

Pu"ri*fi*ca`tor (?) , n. One who, or that which, purifies; a purifier.

Purrificatory <Xpage=1164>

Pur*rif"i*ca*to*ry (?) , a. [L. purificatorius .] Serving or tending to purify; purificative.

Purifier <Xpage=1164>

Pu"ri*fi`er (?) , n. One who, or that which, purifies or cleanses; a cleanser; a refiner.

<page="1165"> Page 1165

Puriform <Xpage=1165>

Pu"ri*form (?) , a. [L. pus , puris , pus + -form : cf. F. puriforme .] (Med.) In the form of pus.

Purify <Xpage=1165>

Pu"ri*fy (?) v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Purified (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Purifying (?) .] [F. purifier , L. purificare ; purus pure + -ficare (in comp.) to make. See Pure , and -fy .] 1. To make pure or clear from material defilement, admixture, or imperfection; to free from extraneous or noxious matter; as, to purify liquors or metals; to purify the blood; to purify the air.

2. Hence, in figurative uses: (a) To free from guilt or moral defilement; as, to purify the heart .

And fit them so Purified to receive him pure. Milton.

(b) To free from ceremonial or legal defilement .

And Moses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar, . . . and purified the altar. Lev. viii. 15.

Purify both yourselves and your captives. Num. xxxi. 19.

(c) To free from improprieties or barbarisms; as, to purify a language .

Sprat.

Purify <Xpage=1165>

Pu"ri*fy , v. i. To grow or become pure or clear.

Purim <Xpage=1165>

Pu"rim (?) , n. [Heb. p&umac;r , pl. p&umac;r&imac;m , a lot.] A Jewish festival, called also the Feast of Lots, instituted to commemorate the deliverance of the Jews from the machinations of Haman.

Esther ix. 26.

Purism <Xpage=1165>

Pur"ism (?) , n. [Cf. F. purisme .] Rigid purity; the quality of being affectedly pure or nice, especially in the choice of language; over-solicitude as to purity. "His political purism ."

De Quincey.

The English language, however, . . . had even already become too thoroughly and essentially a mixed tongue for his doctrine of purism to be admitted to the letter. Craik.

Purist <Xpage=1165>

Pur"ist , n. [Cf. F. puriste .] 1. One who aims at excessive purity or nicety, esp. in the choice of language.

He [Fox] . . . purified vocabulary with a scrupulosity unknown to any purist . Macaulay.

2. One who maintains that the New Testament was written in pure Greek.

M. Stuart.

Puristic, Puristical <Xpage=1165>

Pu*ris"tic (?) , Pu*ris"tic*al (?) , a. Of or pertaining to purists or purism.

Puritan <Xpage=1165>

Pu"ri*tan (?) , n. [From Purity .] 1. (Eccl. Hist.) One who, in the time of Queen Elizabeth and the first two Stuarts, opposed traditional and formal usages, and advocated simpler forms of faith and worship than those established by law; -- originally, a term of reproach. The Puritans formed the bulk of the early population of New England.

&hand; The Puritans were afterward distinguished as Political Puritans , Doctrinal Puritans , and Puritans in Discipline .

Hume.

2. One who is scrupulous and strict in his religious life; -- often used reproachfully or in contempt; one who has overstrict notions.

She would make a puritan of the devil. Shak.

Puritan <Xpage=1165>

Pu"ri*tan , a. Of or pertaining to the Puritans; resembling, or characteristic of, the Puritans.

Puritanic, Puritanical <Xpage=1165>

Pu`ri*tan"ic (?) , Pu`ri*tan"ic*al (?) , a. 1. Of or pertaining to the Puritans, or to their doctrines and practice.

2. Precise in observance of legal or religious requirements; strict; overscrupulous; rigid; -- often used by way of reproach or contempt.

Paritanical circles, from which plays and novels were strictly excluded. Macaulay.

He had all the puritanic traits, both good and evil. Hawthorne.

Puritanically <Xpage=1165>

Pu`ri*tan"ic*al*ly , adv. In a puritanical manner.

Puritanism <Xpage=1165>

Pu"ri*tan*ism (?) , n. The doctrines, notions, or practice of Puritans.

Puritanize <Xpage=1165>

Pu"ri*tan*ize (?) , v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Puritanized (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Puritanizing (?) .] To agree with, or teach, the doctrines of Puritans; to conform to the practice of Puritans.

Bp. Montagu.

Purity <Xpage=1165>