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De - Pt| English Dictionary: Purlieu | by the DICT Development Group |
| 2 results for Purlieu | |
| From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
| From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
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Purlieu \Pur"lieu\, n. [Corrupted (by influence of lieu place) fr. OF. pural[82]e, poral[82]e (equiv. to LL. perambulatio a survey of boundaries, originally, a going through); por (L. pro, confused, however, with L. per through) + al[82]e. See {Pro-}, and {Alley}.] [Written also {pourlieu}.] 1. Originally, the ground near a royal forest, which, having been unlawfully added to the forest, was afterwards severed from it, and disafforested so as to remit to the former owners their rights. Then as a tiger, who by chance hath spied In some purlieu two gentle fawns at play. --Milton. 2. Hence, the outer portion of any place; an adjacent district; environs; neighborhood. [bd]The purlieus of St. James.[b8] brokers had been incessantly plying for custom in the purlieus of the court. --Macaulay. | |
