Perl

P3E1R1L1

proper noun

A family of high-level programming languages, particularly used for text processing.

CommonScrabble 6
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Meanings

proper noun
  1. computer languagesA family of high-level programming languages, particularly used for text processing.

    Perl attracted the attention of Unix system administrators, who needed a language that was easier to use than the C programming language and more powerful than scripting languages such as Borne^([sic]) and C-shell.

    1999, Eric Herrmann, Mastering Perl 5, Sybex, →ISBN, page 5

Origin

A respelling of its original name Pearl, a reference to Matthew 13:46. A common backronymic explanation is “Practical Extraction and Reporting Language”.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

lerpLPer
Cite this entry
APA

Perl. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Perl

MLA

“Perl.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Perl. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Perl,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Perl.

Source: Perl on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.