Purest

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Pure \Pure\, a. [Compar. {Purer}; superl. {Purest}.] [OE. pur,
     F. pur, fr. L. purus; akin to putus pure, clear, putare to
     clean, trim, prune, set in order, settle, reckon, consider,
     think, Skr. p? to clean, and perh. E. fire. Cf. {Putative}.]
     1. Separate from all heterogeneous or extraneous matter; free
        from mixture or combination; clean; mere; simple; unmixed;


        as, pure water; pure clay; pure air; pure compassion.
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              The pure fetters on his shins great.  --Chaucer.
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              A guinea is pure gold if it has in it no alloy. --I.
                                                    Watts.
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     2. Free from moral defilement or quilt; hence, innocent;
        guileless; chaste; -- applied to persons. "Keep thyself
        pure." --1 Tim. v. 22.
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              Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a
              pure heart, and of a good conscience. --1 Tim. i. 5.
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     3. Free from that which harms, vitiates, weakens, or
        pollutes; genuine; real; perfect; -- applied to things and
        actions. "Pure religion and impartial laws." --Tickell.
        "The pure, fine talk of Rome." --Ascham.
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              Such was the origin of a friendship as warm and pure
              as any that ancient or modern history records.
                                                    --Macaulay.
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     4. (Script.) Ritually clean; fitted for holy services.
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              Thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon
              the pure table before the Lord.       --Lev. xxiv.
                                                    6.
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     5. (Phonetics) Of a single, simple sound or tone; -- said of
        some vowels and the unaspirated consonants.
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     {Pure-impure}, completely or totally impure. "The inhabitants
        were pure-impure pagans." --Fuller.
  
     {Pure blue}. (Chem.) See {Methylene blue}, under {Methylene}.
        
  
     {Pure chemistry}. See under {Chemistry}.
  
     {Pure mathematics}, that portion of mathematics which treats
        of the principles of the science, or contradistinction to
        applied mathematics, which treats of the application of
        the principles to the investigation of other branches of
        knowledge, or to the practical wants of life. See
        {Mathematics}. --Davies & Peck (Math. Dict. )
  
     {Pure villenage} (Feudal Law), a tenure of lands by uncertain
        services at the will of the lord. --Blackstone.
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     Syn: Unmixed; clear; simple; real; true; genuine;
          unadulterated; uncorrupted; unsullied; untarnished;
          unstained; stainless; clean; fair; unspotted; spotless;
          incorrupt; chaste; unpolluted; undefiled; immaculate;
          innocent; guiltless; guileless; holy.
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