purlieu (redirected from purlieus)

pur·lieu  (pûrly, pûrl)

n.

1. An outlying or neighboring area.

2. purlieus Outskirts; the environs.

3. A place that one frequents.

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[Middle English purlewe, piece of land on the edge of a forest, probably alteration (influenced by Old French lieu, place) of porale, purale, royal perambulation, from Old French porale, from poraler, to traverse : por-, forth (from Latin pr-; see pro-¹) + aler, aller, to go; see alley¹.]

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purlieu [per-lyoo]

Noun

1. English history land on the edge of a royal forest

2. (usually pl) Literary a neighbouring area; outskirts

3. (often pl) Literary a place one frequents: the committee was the purlieu of civil servants [Anglo-French puralé a going through]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

purlieu - an outer adjacent area of any place environs geographic area, geographic region, geographical area, geographical region - a demarcated area of the Earth