Meanings
perse1
plural perses
- countableuncountableA cloth of this colour.
- Very dark greyish (almost blackish) purple or blue.
perse2
present singular third person perses · participle present persing · participle past persed · past persed · participle past perst · past perst
- obsoleteObsolete form of pierce.
Perse3
- Greekhuman sciencesAn Oceanid, (one of the three thousand daughters of the Titans' Oceanus and Tethys), and the wife of the sun god, Helios, by whom she is the mother of Aeetes, Perses, Pasiphae, and Circe. One of her many sisters is Amphitrite, (the wife of Poseidon). Perse is also closely identified with Hecate.
Synonyms: Perseis
Perse4
- A rare surname transferred from the given name.
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounAn Oceanid, (one of the three thousand daughters of the Titans' Oceanus and Tethys), and the wife of the sun god, Helios, by whom she is the mother of Aeetes, Perses, Pasiphae, and Circe. One of her many sisters is Amphitrite, (the wife of Poseidon). Perse is also closely identified with Hecate.
Origin
perse · noun, adjective
- Ancient GreekΠερσικός
- Medieval Latinpersus
- Middle Englishpers
- Englishperse
From Middle English pers, from Old French, from Medieval Latin persus, back-formed from Persicus (“Persian”), from Ancient Greek Περσικός (Persikós). Compare peach.
More words from Middle English, Medieval Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Perse · proper noun
- Ancient GreekΠέρση
- EnglishPerse
Borrowed from Ancient Greek Πέρση (Pérsē), literally "destroyer", from the verb πέρθω (pérthō, “to destroy”). Compare Perses.
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish Perse, Perseis
- Perseone of the Oceanids
- Perseisone of the Oceanids
French Persé
- Perséone of the Oceanids
Latin Persa
- Persaone of the Oceanids
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with perse
Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
perse. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perse
“perse.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perse. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “perse,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perse.
Source: perse on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.