purlieu Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun an outer adjacent area of any place
    environs.

WordNet

Pur"lieu noun
Etymology
Corrupted (by influence of lieu place) fr. OF. puralée, poralée (equiv. to LL. perambulatio a survey of boundaries, originally, a going through); por (L. pro, confused, however, with L. per through) + alée. See Pro-, and Alley.
Definitions
  1. Originally, the ground near a royal forest, which, having been unlawfully added to the forest, was afterwards severed from it, and disafforested so as to remit to the former owners their rights.
    Then as a tiger, who by chance hath spied In some purlieu two gentle fawns at play. Milton.
  2. Hence, the outer portion of any place; an adjacent district; environs; neighborhood. "The purlieus of St. James."
    brokers had been incessantly plying for custom in the purlieus of the court. Macaulay.

Webster 1913