Word of the Day: Purlieu. noun 1. The area near or surrounding a place. 2. A person's usual haunts. Example Sentences. 1. "The purlieu of Mr. Collins' property was overgrown, so I mowed it when I did my lawn." 2. "The auditorium was a natural purlieu for the school's theater students." 3. "Kent's purlieu is the cozy coffee shop on the corner." Word Origin. Anglo-Norman French, late 15th century In modern French, "lieu" means "place." "Purlieu" is likely an alteration of the Anglo-Norman French "puralee," meaning "a going round to settle the boundaries." In medieval England, the lucky few who were able to acquire land would hold a ceremony, called a "perambulation," to make it clear that the land belonged to them. #Word, #of, #The, #Day,