perm

¹

[ purm ]

noun

1. permanent ( def 4 ).

verb (used with object)

1. to give (the hair) a permanent.

verb (used without object)

1. to apply a permanent to the hair.

Perm

²

[ purm, pairm; Russian pyerm ]

noun

1. a city in the E Russian Federation in Europe, on the Kama River.

perm

¹

/ pɜːm /

noun

1. short for permutation

Perm

²

/ pjermj /

noun

1. a port in W Russia, on the Kama River: oil refinery; university (1916). Pop: 984 000 (2005 est) Former name (1940–62)Molotov

perm

³

/ pɜːm /

noun

1. a hairstyle produced by treatment with heat, chemicals, etc which gives long-lasting waves, curls, or other shaping Also called (esp formerly)permanent wave
2. the act of giving or receiving such a hairstyle

verb

1. tr to give a perm to (hair)

Word History and Origins

Origin of perm¹

First recorded in 1925–30; by shortening

Example Sentences

By the eighth inning, a customer had canceled her perm appointment with Kanno, allowing him to watch the game slip away from the Dodgers.

From Los Angeles Times

It's fire though because it's like I'm older than you, but just the conversations around perms and around hair has changed.

From Salon

Matt Gaetz would lose a fistfight to Rand Paul’s hair perm.

From Salon

Henson started getting perms when she was 6 years old, but as she grew up, she became more conscious about keeping her hair healthy.

From Los Angeles Times

Or maybe since the dish reached peak popularity in the 1980s, the entire category seems about as glamorous as a home perm on a humid afternoon.

From Seattle Times