pure ◆◇◇ /pjʊə r / (purer , purest )
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A pure substance is not mixed with anything else. □ …a carton of pure orange juice.
2 ADJ Something that is pure is clean and does not contain any harmful substances. □ In remote regions, the air is pure and the crops are free of poisonous insecticides. □ …demands for purer and cleaner river water. ● pu|rity N‑UNCOUNT [with poss] □ [+ of ] They worried about the purity of tap water.
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe something such as a colour, a sound, or a type of light as pure , you mean that it is very clear and represents a perfect example of its type. □ …flowers in a whole range of blues with the occasional pure white. ● pu|rity N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the soaring purity of her voice.
4 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe a form of art or a philosophy as pure , you mean that it is produced or practised according to a standard or form that is expected of it. [FORMAL ] □ Nicholson never swerved from his aim of making pure and simple art. ● pu|rity N‑UNCOUNT □ …verse of great purity, sonority of rhythm, and symphonic form.
5 ADJ [ADJ n] Pure science or pure research is concerned only with theory and not with how this theory can be used in practical ways. □ Physics isn't just about pure science with no immediate applications.
6 ADJ Pure means complete and total. [EMPHASIS ] □ The old man turned to give her a look of pure surprise.
pu re-bred also purebred ADJ [ADJ n] A pure-bred animal is one whose parents and ancestors all belong to the same breed. □ …pure-bred Arab horses.
pu|ree /pjʊə re I , [AM ] pjʊre I / (purees , pureeing , pureed ) also purée
1 N‑VAR Puree is food which has been crushed or beaten so that it forms a thick, smooth liquid. □ …a can of tomato puree.
2 VERB If you puree food, you make it into a puree. □ [V n] Puree the apricots in a liquidiser until completely smooth.
pure|ly /pjʊə r li/
1 ADV You use purely to emphasize that the thing you are mentioning is the most important feature or that it is the only thing which should be considered. [EMPHASIS ] □ It is a racing machine, designed purely for speed. □ The government said the moves were purely defensive.
2 PHRASE You use purely and simply to emphasize that the thing you are mentioning is the only thing involved. [EMPHASIS ] □ If Arthur was attracted here by the prospects of therapy, John came down purely and simply to make money.
pur|ga|tive /pɜː r gət I v/ (purgatives )
1 N‑COUNT A purgative is a medicine that causes you to get rid of unwanted waste from your body. [FORMAL ]
2 ADJ [ADJ n] A purgative substance acts as a purgative. [FORMAL ] □ …purgative oils. □ …a purgative tea.
pur|ga|tory /pɜː r gətri, [AM ] -tɔːri/
1 N‑PROPER Purgatory is the place where Roman Catholics believe the spirits of dead people are sent to suffer for their sins before they go to heaven. □ Prayers were said for souls in Purgatory.
2 N‑UNCOUNT You can describe a very unpleasant experience as purgatory . □ Every step of the last three miles was purgatory. □ …five years of economic purgatory.
purge /pɜː r dʒ/ (purges , purging , purged )
1 VERB To purge an organization of its unacceptable members means to remove them from it. You can also talk about purging people from an organization. □ [V n + of ] The leadership voted to purge the party of 'hostile and anti-party elements'. □ [V n] He recently purged the armed forces, sending hundreds of officers into retirement. □ [V n + from ] They have purged thousands from the upper levels of the civil service. ● N‑COUNT Purge is also a noun. □ [+ of ] The army have called for a more thorough purge of people associated with the late president.
2 VERB If you purge something of undesirable things, you get rid of them. □ [V n + of ] He closed his eyes and lay still, trying to purge his mind of anxiety. [Also V n]
pu|ri|fi|er /pjʊə r I fa I ə r / (purifiers ) N‑COUNT [oft n N ] A purifier is a device or a substance that is used to purify something such as water, air, or blood. □ …air purifiers.
pu|ri|fy /pjʊə r I fa I / (purifies , purifying , purified ) VERB If you purify a substance, you make it pure by removing any harmful, dirty, or inferior substances from it. □ [V n] I take wheat and yeast tablets daily to purify the blood. □ [V -ed] Only purified water is used. ● pu|ri|fi|ca|tion /pjuə r I f I ke I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ …a water purification plant.
pur|ist /pjʊə r I st/ (purists )
1 N‑COUNT A purist is a person who wants something to be totally correct or unchanged, especially something they know a lot about. □ The purists would prefer we played on grass, no matter the weather.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Purist attitudes are the kind of attitudes that purists have. □ Britain wanted a 'more purist' approach.
pu|ri|tan /pjʊə r I t ə n/ (puritans )
1 N‑COUNT You describe someone as a puritan when they live according to strict moral or religious principles, especially when they disapprove of physical pleasures. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Bykov had forgotten that Malinin was something of a puritan.