purr

American  

[pur] / pɜr /

Archaic, pur

verb (used without object)

1. to utter a low, continuous, murmuring sound expressive of contentment or pleasure, as a cat does.

2. (of things) to make a sound suggestive of the purring of a cat.

   The new motor of the car purred.

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verb (used with object)

1. to express by or as if by purring.

noun

1. the low, vibrating sound made by a cat by the contracting of the laryngeal muscles and the diaphragm as it breathes.

2. a sound resembling this.

3. the act of purring.

purr British  

/ pɜː /

verb

1. (intr) (esp of cats) to make a low vibrant sound, usually considered as expressing pleasure, etc

2. (tr) to express (pleasure, etc) by this sound

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noun

1. a purring sound

Other Word Forms

• purringly adverb

Etymology

Origin of purr

First recorded in 1595–1605; imitative

Example Sentences

With the chairs set so close, M. S. Hashbaz could circle the entire table on our shoulders, purring furiously, traveling round and round.

From Literature

Characters are caricatures, be it a villain that feels plucked from a cartoon western, complete with a purring raccoon for a sidekick, to a greedy wannabe politician of a bank manager.

From Los Angeles Times

Hard to beat the purr of a high-tech race car.

From Los Angeles Times

When Banks purrs, “You have no idea what we have planned for Cycle 25,” you’ll have to forgive me for taking that as a threat, not a tease.

From Salon

A domestic cat's purr reveals much more about its individual identity than its meow.

From Science Daily