The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Purl \Purl\, n. [See 3d Purl.]
   1. A circle made by the notion of a fluid; an eddy; a ripple.
      [1913 Webster]

            Whose stream an easy breath doth seem to blow,
            Which on the sparkling gravel runs in purles,
            As though the waves had been of silver curls.
                                                  --Drayton.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. A gentle murmur, as that produced by the running of a
      liquid among obstructions; as, the purl of a brook.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. [Perh. from F. perler, v. See Purl to mantle.] Malt
      liquor, medicated or spiced; formerly, ale or beer in
      which wormwood or other bitter herbs had been infused, and
      which was regarded as tonic; at present, hot beer mixed
      with gin, sugar, and spices. "Drank a glass of purl to
      recover appetite." --Addison. "Drinking hot purl, and
      smoking pipes." --Dickens.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. (Zool.) A tern. [Prov. Eng.]
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Purl \Purl\, v. t. [Contr. fr. purfile, purfle. See Purfle.]
   To decorate with fringe or embroidery. "Nature's cradle more
   enchased and purled." --B. Jonson.
   [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Purl \Purl\, n.
   1. An embroidered and puckered border; a hem or fringe, often
      of gold or silver twist; also, a pleat or fold, as of a
      band.
      [1913 Webster]

            A triumphant chariot made of carnation velvet,
            enriched withpurl and pearl.          --Sir P.
                                                  Sidney.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. An inversion of stitches in knitting, which gives to the
      work a ribbed or waved appearance.
      [1913 Webster]

   Purl stitch. Same as Purl, n., 2.
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Purl \Purl\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Purled; p. pr. & vb. n.
   Purling.] [Cf. Sw. porla, and E. pur to murmur as a cat.]
   1. To run swiftly round, as a small stream flowing among
      stones or other obstructions; to eddy; also, to make a
      murmuring sound, as water does in running over or through
      obstructions.
      [1913 Webster]

            Swift o'er the rolling pebbles, down the hills,
            Louder and louder purl the falling rills. --Pope.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. [Perh. fr. F. perler to pearl, to bead. See Pearl, v. &
      n.] To rise in circles, ripples, or undulations; to curl;
      to mantle.
      [1913 Webster]

            thin winding breath which purled up to the sky.
                                                  --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

purl
    n 1: gold or silver wire thread
    2: a basic knitting stitch [syn: purl, purl stitch]
    v 1: flow in a circular current, of liquids [syn: eddy,
         purl, whirlpool, swirl, whirl]
    2: make a murmuring sound; "the water was purling" [syn:
       sough, purl]
    3: knit with a purl stitch
    4: edge or border with gold or silver embroidery
    5: embroider with gold or silver thread

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

50 Moby Thesaurus words for "purl":
   adjoin, babble, befringe, bind, border, bound, bubble, burble,
   eddy, edge, enframe, frame, fringe, guggle, gurge, gurgle, gyrate,
   gyre, hem, lap, line, list, march, marge, margin, marginate,
   pirouette, plash, purfle, reel, rim, ripple, set off, side, skirt,
   slosh, spin, splash, swash, swirl, swish, trill, trim, twirl,
   verge, wash, whirl, whirligig, whirlpool, whorl



V.E.R.A. -- Virtual Entity of Relevant Acronyms (February 2016):

PURL
       Persistent Uniform Resource Locator (URL, WWW)