perm

[ purm ]

/ pɜrm /

Informal.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR perm ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

permanent(def 4).

verb (used with object)

to give (the hair) a permanent.

verb (used without object)

to apply a permanent to the hair.

RELATED WORDS

permanent

Nearby words

Origin of perm

First recorded in 1925–30; by shortening

Perm

[ purm, pairm; Russian pyerm ]

/ pɜrm, pɛərm; Russian pyɛrm /

noun

a city in the E Russian Federation in Europe, on the Kama River.

Formerly Molotov.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for perm

“Seeking a long-term (perm) 24/7 slave, for absolute ownership/slavery,” his profile on Collarpsace.com read.
How ‘MrHandcuffs’ Ended Up With Two Corpses in Suitcases|Michael Daly|June 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
My sisters opened a beauty parlor in their bedroom, curling hair with crisscrossed bobby pins and calling it a perm.
‘Tracing the Blue Light’: Read Chapter 1 of Eileen Cronin’s ‘Mermaid’|Eileen Cronin|April 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I was wearing a perm, so I just had to go to the back of my neck and I had a fist full of sweat.
‘No No,’ a Documentary on MLB Pitcher Dock Ellis, Who Pitched a No-Hitter While Tripping on Acid|Marlow Stern|February 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Anna Nemtsova reports on the harsh conditions that await the young mothers in Mordovia and Perm, the ‘gateway to Siberia.’
Inside the Pussy Rioters’ Russian Prisons|Anna Nemtsova|October 24, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Instead, they are now heading to prisons in the remote regions of Mordovia and Perm, also known as “the gateway to Siberia.”
Inside the Pussy Rioters’ Russian Prisons|Anna Nemtsova|October 24, 2012|DAILY BEAST
In Perm Foma purchased for her different new things and what-not.
Foma Gordyeff|Maxim Gorky
After that he was exiled to the Perm Government, from where he escaped.
Resurrection|Leo Tolstoy
The Governor-General of Perm may, if so disposed, disregard entirely the wishes or votes of the council.
From Paris to Pekin over Siberian Snows|Victor Meignan
Michael Strogoff had very judiciously chosen the one by Perm and Ekaterenburg.
Michael Strogoff|Jules Verne
The journey up to Perm had been very trying to Maslova both morally and physically.
Resurrection|Leo Tolstoy

British Dictionary definitions for perm

perm

/ (pɜːm) /

noun

a hairstyle produced by treatment with heat, chemicals, etc which gives long-lasting waves, curls, or other shapingAlso called (esp formerly): permanent wave

the act of giving or receiving such a hairstyle

verb

(tr) to give a perm to (hair)

noun

short for permutation (def. 4)

Perm

/ (Russian pjermj) /

noun

a port in W Russia, on the Kama River: oil refinery; university (1916). Pop: 984 000 (2005 est)Former name (1940–62): Molotov

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for perm

perm

1927, shortened form of permanent wave (1909). The verb is first recorded 1928.