"perse" meaning in English

See perse in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /pɜːs/ [Received-Pronunciation], /pɝs/ [General-American]
Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)s Etymology: From Middle English pers, from Old French, from Medieval Latin persus, back-formed from Persicus (“Persian”), from Ancient Greek Περσικός (Persikós). Compare peach. Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|pers}} Middle English pers, {{der|en|fro|-}} Old French, {{der|en|la-med|persus}} Medieval Latin persus, {{der|en|grc|Περσικός}} Ancient Greek Περσικός (Persikós), {{dbt|en|peach|notext=1}} peach Head templates: {{en-adj|?}} perse
  1. Very dark greyish (almost blackish) purple or blue.
    Sense id: en-perse-en-adj-0bvRPirF Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Blacks, Purples Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 75 7 2 16 Disambiguation of Blacks: 20 41 0 38 Disambiguation of Purples: 37 37 0 26
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 1

Noun

IPA: /pɜːs/ [Received-Pronunciation], /pɝs/ [General-American] Forms: perses [plural]
Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)s Etymology: From Middle English pers, from Old French, from Medieval Latin persus, back-formed from Persicus (“Persian”), from Ancient Greek Περσικός (Persikós). Compare peach. Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|pers}} Middle English pers, {{der|en|fro|-}} Old French, {{der|en|la-med|persus}} Medieval Latin persus, {{der|en|grc|Περσικός}} Ancient Greek Περσικός (Persikós), {{dbt|en|peach|notext=1}} peach Head templates: {{en-noun|~}} perse (countable and uncountable, plural perses)
  1. A very dark (almost black) purple or blue-gray colour. Tags: countable, uncountable
    Sense id: en-perse-en-noun-FfnCvosU Categories (other): Blacks, Purples Disambiguation of Blacks: 20 41 0 38 Disambiguation of Purples: 37 37 0 26
  2. A cloth of this colour. Tags: countable, uncountable
    Sense id: en-perse-en-noun-AQN2fFPX
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 1

Verb

Forms: perses [present, singular, third-person], persing [participle, present], persed [participle, past], persed [past], perst [participle, past], perst [past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|+|+|+,perst}} perse (third-person singular simple present perses, present participle persing, simple past and past participle persed or perst)
  1. Obsolete form of pierce. Tags: alt-of, obsolete Alternative form of: pierce
    Sense id: en-perse-en-verb-rGv8pXJH Categories (other): Blacks, Purples Disambiguation of Blacks: 20 41 0 38 Disambiguation of Purples: 37 37 0 26
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 2

Inflected forms

{
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "pers"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English pers",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la-med",
        "3": "persus"
      },
      "expansion": "Medieval Latin persus",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "Περσικός"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek Περσικός (Persikós)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "peach",
        "notext": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "peach",
      "name": "dbt"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English pers, from Old French, from Medieval Latin persus, back-formed from Persicus (“Persian”), from Ancient Greek Περσικός (Persikós). Compare peach.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "perses",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "perse (countable and uncountable, plural perses)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "20 41 0 38",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Blacks",
          "orig": "en:Blacks",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "37 37 0 26",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Purples",
          "orig": "en:Purples",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A very dark (almost black) purple or blue-gray colour."
      ],
      "id": "en-perse-en-noun-FfnCvosU",
      "links": [
        [
          "purple",
          "purple"
        ],
        [
          "blue-gray",
          "blue-gray"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A cloth of this colour."
      ],
      "id": "en-perse-en-noun-AQN2fFPX",
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/pɜːs/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/pɝs/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɜː(ɹ)s"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "purse"
    }
  ],
  "word": "perse"
}

{
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "pers"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English pers",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la-med",
        "3": "persus"
      },
      "expansion": "Medieval Latin persus",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "Περσικός"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek Περσικός (Persikós)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "peach",
        "notext": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "peach",
      "name": "dbt"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English pers, from Old French, from Medieval Latin persus, back-formed from Persicus (“Persian”), from Ancient Greek Περσικός (Persikós). Compare peach.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "?"
      },
      "expansion": "perse",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "75 7 2 16",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "20 41 0 38",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Blacks",
          "orig": "en:Blacks",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "37 37 0 26",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Purples",
          "orig": "en:Purples",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Very dark greyish (almost blackish) purple or blue."
      ],
      "id": "en-perse-en-adj-0bvRPirF"
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/pɜːs/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/pɝs/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɜː(ɹ)s"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "purse"
    }
  ],
  "word": "perse"
}

{
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "perses",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "persing",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "persed",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "persed",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "perst",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "perst",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "+",
        "2": "+",
        "3": "+,perst"
      },
      "expansion": "perse (third-person singular simple present perses, present participle persing, simple past and past participle persed or perst)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "pierce"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "20 41 0 38",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Blacks",
          "orig": "en:Blacks",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "37 37 0 26",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Purples",
          "orig": "en:Purples",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Obsolete form of pierce."
      ],
      "id": "en-perse-en-verb-rGv8pXJH",
      "links": [
        [
          "pierce",
          "pierce#English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "obsolete"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "perse"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English doublets",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Ancient Greek",
    "English terms derived from Medieval Latin",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms derived from Old French",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English terms with homophones",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 8 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ɜː(ɹ)s",
    "Rhymes:English/ɜː(ɹ)s/1 syllable",
    "en:Blacks",
    "en:Purples"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "pers"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English pers",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la-med",
        "3": "persus"
      },
      "expansion": "Medieval Latin persus",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "Περσικός"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek Περσικός (Persikós)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "peach",
        "notext": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "peach",
      "name": "dbt"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English pers, from Old French, from Medieval Latin persus, back-formed from Persicus (“Persian”), from Ancient Greek Περσικός (Persikós). Compare peach.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "perses",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "perse (countable and uncountable, plural perses)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A very dark (almost black) purple or blue-gray colour."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "purple",
          "purple"
        ],
        [
          "blue-gray",
          "blue-gray"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A cloth of this colour."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/pɜːs/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/pɝs/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɜː(ɹ)s"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "purse"
    }
  ],
  "word": "perse"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English doublets",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Ancient Greek",
    "English terms derived from Medieval Latin",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms derived from Old French",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English terms with homophones",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 8 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ɜː(ɹ)s",
    "Rhymes:English/ɜː(ɹ)s/1 syllable",
    "en:Blacks",
    "en:Purples"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "pers"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English pers",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la-med",
        "3": "persus"
      },
      "expansion": "Medieval Latin persus",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "Περσικός"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek Περσικός (Persikós)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "peach",
        "notext": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "peach",
      "name": "dbt"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English pers, from Old French, from Medieval Latin persus, back-formed from Persicus (“Persian”), from Ancient Greek Περσικός (Persikós). Compare peach.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "?"
      },
      "expansion": "perse",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Very dark greyish (almost blackish) purple or blue."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/pɜːs/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/pɝs/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɜː(ɹ)s"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "purse"
    }
  ],
  "word": "perse"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 8 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "en:Blacks",
    "en:Purples"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "perses",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "persing",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "persed",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "persed",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "perst",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "perst",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "+",
        "2": "+",
        "3": "+,perst"
      },
      "expansion": "perse (third-person singular simple present perses, present participle persing, simple past and past participle persed or perst)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "pierce"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English obsolete forms"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Obsolete form of pierce."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "pierce",
          "pierce#English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "obsolete"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "perse"
}

Download raw JSONL data for perse meaning in English (4.7kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-02-14 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-02-01 using wiktextract (f492ef9 and 59dc20b). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.