Purvis

P3U1R1V4I1S1

proper noun

A surname from Middle English.

OriginMiddle English purveys →
Less commonScrabble 11
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Meanings

proper nounPurvis (countable and uncountable, plural Purvises)

plural Purvises · alternative Purves

  1. countableuncountableA surname from Middle English.
  2. countableuncountableA city, the county seat of Lamar County, Mississippi, United States.
  3. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Camden County, Missouri, United States.

Origin

  1. Middle Englishpurveys“provisions, supplies”
  2. EnglishPurvis

Perhaps from Middle English purveys (“provisions, supplies”), hence a metonymic occupational surname for an official responsible of obtaining supplies.

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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