to purr
- verb
- /pɜr/
- A happy cat will purr.
- cat purred
- purred like a kitten
- purred contentedly
But he did purr for the first time while cuddling.
- But he did purr for the first time while cuddling.
- He snores when he's like sleeping but he purrs when he's happy.
- Miss Bishop, he purred in his southern tinged Boston Brahmin drawl.
- So my cat can't roar because her vocal folds just aren't shaped for it, but she can purr, and that's pretty Dang cute.
Examples
-
And then you can pet her, and she'll purr when you're doing it right.
Blog text (26) -
Hobbes sat purring happily on my lap this evening as we mused about the day's experiences.
Fiction book (1992) -
I've never heard a cat purr before and it's so sweet.
-
Listen to it purr just like a kitten.
-
A cat crouches on Sam's chest at dawn, tucking its paws under and purring.
Fiction book (1993) -
When I pet my cat, she starts to purr softly in my lap.
-
The kitten curled up next to me, and I could hear it purr happily.
-
As soon as he gets comfortable, he likes to purr to show he's content.
Synonyms
To make a low soft sound that shows a cat is happy
Antonyms
How Loud
Surface Forms
Etymology
Purr as a verb also comes from copying that same sound: to purr is to make a low, vibrating noise in the throat when a cat is calm and pleased. That's why to purr means 'to show pleasure' by making that soft sound.