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• perm
  perm

  noun

  permanent.
• Perm
  Perm

  noun

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

perm

¹ American  

[purm] / pɜrm /

noun

perms plural

1. permanent.

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verb (used with object)

perms, present (3rd person singular) permed, past participle, past perming present participle

1. to give (the hair) a permanent.

verb (used without object)

perms, present (3rd person singular) permed, past participle, past perming present participle

1. to apply a permanent to the hair.

Perm ² American  

[purm, pairm, pyerm] / pɜrm, pɛərm, pjɛrm /

noun

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

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perm ¹ British  

/ pɜːm /

noun

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

2. the act of giving or receiving such a hairstyle

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verb

1. (tr) to give a perm to (hair)

Perm ² British  

/ pjermj /

noun

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

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perm ³ British  

/ pɜːm /

noun

1. short for permutation

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• perms
  plural

Participles

• perming
  present
• permed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• perm
  simple
• perms
  simple
• have permed
  perfect
• has permed
  perfect
• am perming
  progressive
• are perming
  progressive
• is perming
  progressive
• have been perming
  perfect progressive
• has been perming
  perfect progressive

Past

• permed
  simple
• had permed
  perfect
• was perming
  progressive
• were perming
  progressive
• had been perming
  perfect progressive

Future

• will perm
  simple
• will have permed
  perfect
• will be perming
  progressive
• will have been perming
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of perm

First recorded in 1925–30; by shortening

Explanation

A perm is a chemical treatment that curls your hair. Get a perm today and you'll still have curly hair next month! The word perm is shorthand for permanent wave. The earliest versions of perms were used on wigs, since the chemicals were too harsh for the human scalp. As the technique progressed, it briefly included electric heat and spools for winding the hair. Today's perms use chemicals and curlers — and nearly identical chemicals are used to straighten or relax curly hair. While perms were extremely popular in the 1980s, you don't see many people with perms today.

Example Sentences

She immediately suggested they have ChatGPT generate a photo of him with a perm.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026

I had the perm and then I went bald after that, cut it off.”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 12, 2025

Backed by dancers dressed as rodeo clowns, Roan - herself wearing a sequinned cowboy hat and sparkly boots - rode a a giant pink carousel pony, complete with an 80s perm.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2025

I remember running to the store to grab a box of perm for my mom or grab a box of perm for my sister and them combing it through their hair and sitting there.

From Salon • Mar. 16, 2024

By some miracle, her perm doesn’t move an inch.

From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy