pure
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pure
(pyo͝or)adj. pur·er, pur·est
1.
a. Having a homogeneous or uniform composition; not mixed: pure oxygen.
b. Free of dirt, pollutants, infectious agents, or other unwanted elements: pure water.
c. Containing nothing inappropriate or extraneous: a pure style of piano playing.
2. Complete; utter: pure folly.
3.
a. Having no moral failing or guilt: "I felt pure and sweet as a new baby" (Sylvia Plath).
b. Chaste; virgin.
4. Of unmixed blood or ancestry.
5. Genetics Produced by self-fertilization or continual inbreeding; homozygous: a pure line.
6. Music Free from discordant qualities: pure tones.
7. Linguistics Articulated with a single unchanging speech sound; monophthongal: a pure vowel.
8. Theoretical; not applied: pure science.
9. Philosophy Free of empirical elements: pure reason.
pure′ly adv.
pure′ness n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
pure
(pjʊə)adj
1. not mixed with any extraneous or dissimilar materials, elements, etc: pure nitrogen.
2. free from tainting or polluting matter; clean; wholesome: pure water.
3. free from moral taint or defilement: pure love.
4. (prenominal) (intensifier): pure stupidity; a pure coincidence.
5. (of a subject, etc) studied in its theoretical aspects rather than for its practical applications: pure mathematics; pure science. Compare applied
6. (Phonetics & Phonology) (of a vowel) pronounced with more or less unvarying quality without any glide; monophthongal
7. (Linguistics) (of a consonant) not accompanied by another consonant
8. (Anthropology & Ethnology) of supposedly unmixed racial descent
9. (Genetics) genetics biology breeding true for one or more characteristics; homozygous
10. (Biology) genetics biology breeding true for one or more characteristics; homozygous
11. (Music, other) music
a. (of a sound) composed of a single frequency without overtones
b. (of intervals in the system of just intonation) mathematically accurate in respect to the ratio of one frequency to another
[C13: from Old French pur, from Latin pūrus unstained]
ˈpureness n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
pure
(pyʊər)adj. pur•er, pur•est.
1. free from adulterating or extraneous matter: pure gold.
2. free from contamination, pollution, or dirt; clean: pure water.
3. not modified by an admixture; simple or homogeneous: pure white.
4. absolute; utter; sheer: pure joy.
5. being that and nothing else; mere: a pure accident.
6. of unmixed descent or ancestry.
7. free from foreign elements: pure Attic Greek.
8. free from blemishes; clear; spotless: pure skin.
9. (of literary style) straightforward; unaffected.
10. abstract or theoretical (opposed to applied): pure science.
11. without any discordant quality; clear and true: a pure tone in music.
12. untainted with evil or guilt; innocent.
13. physically chaste; virgin.
14. ceremonially or ritually clean.
15. independent of sense or experience: pure knowledge.
16. Genetics.
a. homozygous.
b. containing only one characteristic for a trait.
17. (of a vowel sound) maintaining the same quality throughout its duration; monophthongal.
[1250–1300; Middle English pur < Old French < Latin pūrus clean, unmixed, plain, pure]
pure′ness, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
Adj. | 1. | pure - free of extraneous elements of any kind; "pure air and water"; "pure gold"; "pure primary colors"; "the violin's pure and lovely song"; "pure tones"; "pure oxygen" clean - ritually clean or pure processed - prepared or converted from a natural state by subjecting to a special process; "processed ores" impure - combined with extraneous elements |
2. | pure - without qualification; used informally as (often pejorative) intensifiers; "an arrant fool"; "a complete coward"; "a consummate fool"; "a double-dyed villain"; "gross negligence"; "a perfect idiot"; "pure folly"; "what a sodding mess"; "stark staring mad"; "a thoroughgoing villain"; "utter nonsense"; "the unadulterated truth" arrant, double-dyed, sodding, utter, thoroughgoing, unadulterated, staring, perfect, everlasting, consummate, stark, complete, gross unmitigated - not diminished or moderated in intensity or severity; sometimes used as an intensifier; "unmitigated suffering"; "an unmitigated horror"; "an unmitigated lie" | |
3. | pure - (of color) being chromatically pure; not diluted with white or grey or black | |
4. | pure - free from discordant qualities harmonious - musically pleasing | |
5. | pure - concerned with theory and data rather than practice; opposed to applied; "pure science" theoretical - concerned with theories rather than their practical applications; "theoretical physics" | |
6. | pure - (used of persons or behaviors) having no faults; sinless; "I felt pure and sweet as a new baby"- Sylvia Plath; "pure as the driven snow" chaste - morally pure (especially not having experienced sexual intercourse); "a holy woman innocent and chaste" impure - (used of persons or behaviors) immoral or obscene; "impure thoughts" | |
7. | ![]() chaste - morally pure (especially not having experienced sexual intercourse); "a holy woman innocent and chaste" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
pure
adjective
1. unmixed, real, clear, true, simple, natural, straight, perfect, genuine, neat, authentic, flawless, unalloyed The ancient alchemists tried to transmute base metals into pure gold.
unmixed mixed, flawed, alloyed, imperfect, adulterated
unmixed mixed, flawed, alloyed, imperfect, adulterated
2. clean, immaculate, sterile, wholesome, sanitary, spotless, sterilized, squeaky-clean, unblemished, unadulterated, untainted, disinfected, uncontaminated, unpolluted, pasteurized, germ-free Demands for pure and clean river water.
clean dirty, infected, contaminated, polluted, filthy, tainted, impure
clean dirty, infected, contaminated, polluted, filthy, tainted, impure
3. theoretical, abstract, philosophical, speculative, academic, conceptual, hypothetical, conjectural, non-practical Physics isn't just about pure science with no practical applications.
theoretical applied, practical
theoretical applied, practical
4. complete, total, perfect, absolute, mere, sheer, patent, utter, outright, thorough, downright, palpable, unqualified, out-and-out, unmitigated The old man turned to give her a look of pure surprise.
complete qualified
complete qualified
5. innocent, virgin, modest, good, true, moral, maidenly, upright, honest, immaculate, impeccable, righteous, virtuous, squeaky-clean, blameless, chaste, virginal, unsullied, guileless, uncorrupted, unstained, undefiled, unspotted a pure and chaste maiden
innocent corrupt, spoiled, contaminated, obscene, indecent, untrue, immoral, sinful, unclean, defiled, impure, immodest, unchaste
innocent corrupt, spoiled, contaminated, obscene, indecent, untrue, immoral, sinful, unclean, defiled, impure, immodest, unchaste
Quotations
"My strength is as the strength of ten"
"Because my heart is pure" [Alfred, Lord Tennyson `Sir Galahad']
"Unto the pure all things are pure" Bible: II Timothy
"My strength is as the strength of ten"
"Because my heart is pure" [Alfred, Lord Tennyson `Sir Galahad']
"Unto the pure all things are pure" Bible: II Timothy
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
pure
adjective1. Not diluted or mixed with other substances:
2. Free from extraneous elements:
3. Completely such, without qualification or exception:
absolute, all-out, arrant, complete, consummate, crashing, damned, dead, downright, flat, out-and-out, outright, perfect, plain, sheer, thorough, thoroughgoing, total, unbounded, unequivocal, unlimited, unmitigated, unqualified, unrelieved, unreserved, utter.
Chiefly British: blooming.
4. Free from evil and corruption:
angelic, angelical, clean, innocent, lily-white, sinless, unblemished, uncorrupted, undefiled, unstained, unsullied, untainted, virginal.
Idiom: pure as the driven snow.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
TranslationsSelect a language:
Spanish / Español
pure
[pjʊəʳ]A. ADJ (purer (compar) (purest (superl)))
1. (= unadulterated) [wool, alcohol, substance] → puro; [silk] → natural
a pure wool jumper → un jersey de lana pura
it's blackmail, pure and simple → esto es chantaje, lisa y llanamente
a pure wool jumper → un jersey de lana pura
it's blackmail, pure and simple → esto es chantaje, lisa y llanamente
2. (= clean, clear) [air, water, sound, light] → puro
3. (= sheer) [pleasure, luck, coincidence, speculation] → puro
the whole story was pure invention → todo fue puro cuento
by pure chance → por pura casualidad
the whole story was pure invention → todo fue puro cuento
by pure chance → por pura casualidad
B. CPD pure vowel N → vocal f simple
Position of "puro"
You should generally put puro after the noun when you mean pure in the sense of "uncontaminated" or "unadulterated" and before the noun in the sense of "sheer" or "plain": ...pure olive oil... ...aceite puro de oliva... It's pure coincidence Es pura coincidencia
PURE
Position of "puro"
You should generally put puro after the noun when you mean pure in the sense of "uncontaminated" or "unadulterated" and before the noun in the sense of "sheer" or "plain": ...pure olive oil... ...aceite puro de oliva... It's pure coincidence Es pura coincidencia
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
pure
(ˈpjuə) adjective1. not mixed with anything especially dirty or less valuable. pure gold.puro
2. clean, especially morally. pure thoughts.puro
4. (of sounds) clear; keeping in tune. She sang in a high pure tone.límpido
ˈpurely adverbˈpureness nounˈpurity nounˈpurify (-fai) verb to make pure. What is the best way to purify the air?purificar
ˌpurifiˈcation (-fi-) nounˌpure-ˈblooded adjective of unmixed race. a pure-blooded Englishman. de raza pura
ˌpure-ˈbred adjective (of animals) of unmixed breed; thoroughbred. a pure-bred Arab horse.de raza, de pura sangre
pure and simple (used after a noun) nothing but. It was an accident pure and simple. puro y simple
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
pure
→ puroMultilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
pure
a. puro-a, sin contaminación.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
pure
adj puroEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.