purler

A child takes a purler while learning to ride a bike.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A heavy fall: "purler" refers to a fall that is sudden and violent, often headlong or spectacular, especially in informal British English.
   • A blow that causes such a fall: It can also mean a hit or push that results in someone falling heavily.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • He took a purler on the icy pavement. (He fell heavily onto the ground.)
  • The cyclist came a purler when his front wheel hit a stone. (The cyclist fell headlong off his bike.)

Advanced Usage

• "to come a purler": an idiomatic expression meaning to fall heavily or to fail spectacularly.
  • She came a purler while trying to ski down the steep slope. (She fell badly while skiing.)
• "to take a purler": a synonymous phrase indicating a heavy fall.
  • The horse stumbled and the rider took a purler. (The rider fell off the horse with force.)

Variants and Related Words

• Purl (verb): to upset or fall headlong (rare, related root).
  • He purled over the edge of the cliff. (He fell headlong.)
• Purl (noun): in knitting, a type of stitch; unrelated to the meaning of "purler."

Synonyms

• Heavy fall: a significant drop or tumble.
• Crash: a sudden, violent fall or impact.
• Spill: an informal term for a fall, especially from a horse or bicycle.
• Tumble: an accidental fall, often with rolling.

Related Idioms

• Come a cropper: to fall heavily or fail badly (similar to "come a purler").
  • He came a cropper in the final race. (He failed or fell spectacularly.)
• Take a spill: to fall from a moving vehicle or animal.
  • She took a spill from her motorcycle. (She fell off her motorcycle.)