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pure

Syllabification: (pure)
Pronunciation: /pyo͝or/
Translate pure | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of pure

adjective

  • not mixed or adulterated with any other substance or material:cars can run on pure alcohol the jacket was pure wool
  • without any extraneous and unnecessary elements:the romantic notion of pure art devoid of social responsibility
  • free of any contamination:the pure, clear waters of Montana
  • wholesome and untainted by immorality, especially that of a sexual nature:our fondness for each other is pure and innocent
  • (of a sound) perfectly in tune and with a clear tone.
  • (of an animal or plant) of unmixed origin or descent:the pure Charolais is white or light wheat in the coat
  • (of a subject of study) dealing with abstract concepts and not practical application:a theoretical discipline such as pure physicsCompare with applied.
  • Phonetics (of a vowel) not joined with another to form a diphthong.
  • [attributive] involving or containing nothing else but; sheer (used for emphasis):a shout of pure anger an outcome that may be a matter of pure chance

Phrases

pure and simple

and nothing else (used for emphasis):it was revenge, pure and simple

Derivatives

pureness

noun

Origin:

Middle English: from Old French pur 'pure', from Latin purus

pure in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of pure in the British & World English dictionary
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