ENGLISH
REFERENCE

pure

adj. · adv. · v.
US //ˈpjʊɹ// UK //pjˈɔː// pure
  1. 1 not mixed (adj.)
    B1 Intermediate

    not mixed with anything else; made of only one substance.

    consisting of a single substance or element; free from any different or contaminating material.

    Example

    The ring is made of pure gold and is very expensive.

    Example

    The laboratory required a supply of pure oxygen to ensure that no outside gases interfered with the delicate chemical reaction.
  2. 2 clean and perfect (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    clean, clear, and free from any marks or bad qualities.

    free from flaws, imperfections, or moral corruption; unsullied in character or appearance.

    Example

    The mountain air was pure and fresh after the rain.

    Example

    The singer's voice was noted for its pure tone, which remained clear even in the highest registers of the aria.
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  1. 3 complete or total (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    complete or total; used to emphasize how strong a feeling or situation is.

    absolute and unqualified; used as an intensifier to emphasize the totality of a state or quality.

    Example

    It was pure luck that we found the keys in the grass.

    Example

    The children's faces showed pure joy when they saw the snow falling for the first time that winter.
  2. 4 theoretical (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Academic Science

    studying something for its own sake, not for how it can be used in real life.

    concerned with theory and fundamental principles rather than practical applications.

    Example

    She prefers pure mathematics to the kind used in engineering.

    Example

    While applied physics focuses on technology, pure physics seeks to understand the fundamental laws governing the universe.
  3. 5 no side effects (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    describing a function that only uses its input and does not change anything else in the program.

    describing a function that always returns the same output for the same input and has no observable side effects.

    Example

    A pure function is easier to test because it doesn't change global variables.

    Example

    Functional programming languages encourage the use of pure functions to minimize state-related bugs in complex systems.
    • idempotent
  4. 6 very or extremely (adv.)
    C1 Advanced Dialect Slang

    very or extremely; used to make an adjective stronger.

    used as an intensifier meaning 'extremely' or 'totally'.

    Example

    That movie was pure brilliant.

    Example

    The weather was pure dead brilliant for the entire duration of our trip to the Highlands.

    Teacher's tip

    This usage is particularly common in Scottish English and among younger speakers in certain urban areas of the UK.
  5. 7 to hit cleanly (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Informal Sport

    to hit a ball perfectly and cleanly in a sport like golf.

    to strike a ball with perfect timing and contact, resulting in a clean flight.

    Example

    He pured his 7-iron shot right onto the green.

    Example

    The golfer managed to pure his drive despite the heavy wind, sending the ball straight down the middle of the fairway.
    • mishit
Origin

From Middle English pure, pur, from Old French pur, from Latin pūrus (“clean, free from dirt or filth, unmixed, plain”), from Proto-Indo-European *pewH- (“to cleanse, purify”). Displaced native Middle English lutter (“pure, clear, sincere”) (from Old English hlūtor, hluttor), Middle English skere (“pure, sheer, clear”) (from Old English scǣre and Old Norse skǣr), Middle English schir (“clear, pure”) (from Old English scīr), Middle English smete, smeate (“pure, refined”) (from Old English smǣte; compare Old English mǣre (“pure”)).

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