purr
verb (used without object)
to utter a low, continuous, murmuring sound expressive of contentment or pleasure, as a cat does.
had been purring
-
past perfect progressiveof purr.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A machine that had been purring in the distance passed, slowed up, and stopped a little way beyond the camp.
From The Dude Wrangler by Caroline Lockhart
So Nora put down her knitting, and taking the cat on her lap, a great sleepy white fellow who had been purring by the stove, she began to tell them stories.
From The Little House in the Fairy Wood by Ethel Cook Eliot
He had been purring along the road toward home, drowsy and lulled by the motion and the April air.
From Half Portions by Edna Ferber
