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

Explanation

The happy sound a relaxed cat makes is a purr. A purr is low and fluttery, and you can feel it vibrating in the cat's body. Your pet cat purrs, and so do some of her larger relatives, like the puma and the bobcat, as well as the cat-like animal called a genet, raccoons, badgers, tapirs, and even guinea pigs. Scientists aren't entirely sure how a cat purrs, but they do know that felines can either purr or roar, but not both (lions, for example, don't purr). They also suspect that a purr evolved as communication between mother cats and nursing kittens.

Example Sentences

"Every cat in our study had its own characteristic purr," says co-author Anja Schild.

From Science Daily • Feb. 11, 2026

Undoubtedly, one sweet tabby will purr its way into your heart and become a “foster fail.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 22, 2025

Even the Pokémon noises are gently mellowed out in contrast to the coarser, more caterwauling sounds of the games; here the creatures purr, cry, coo and sigh like docile house pets.

From New York Times • Jan. 13, 2024

While this research is fascinating because it illuminates how cats pull off purring like never before, it may also mean that cats don't always purr to express pleasure.

From Salon • Nov. 3, 2023

She wondered momentarily if it was the kitten’s purr; but Small Bob had fallen asleep on Large Bob’s shoulder.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan