The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms INTRO ...

5 grip, hold, support, toe-hold, foothold, grasp; leverage,
position, advantage, edge: The climber was having trouble
getting a good purchase on the icy ledge.
pure adj. 1 unmixed, unadulterated, unalloyed, simon-pure; 24-carat
or US also 24-karat, sterling, solid; real, genuine, authentic,
flawless, faultless, perfect, natural, true, simple: We have
made every effort to keep the blood-line of these horses
completely pure. Pure gold is not used for coins or jewellery
because it is too soft. She wore a dress of the purest white. 2
uncontaminated, clear, clean, wholesome, sanitary, uninfected,
disinfected, pasteurized, sterilized, sterile, antiseptic,
unpolluted, spotless, immaculate, unsullied, unbesmirched,
unblemished, unmarred, unstained, untainted: It was refreshing
to breathe pure air again. Stringent tests ensure that the
substances are pure before they go on the market. 3 chaste,
virginal, virgin, intact, maidenly, vestal, undefiled, innocent,
guileless, virtuous, modest, moral, correct, proper, decent,
decorous, uncorrupted, blameless, sinless, impeccable: As far
as we can tell, she led a totally pure life. 4 theoretical,
hypothetical, conjectural, speculative, abstract, conceptual,
notional, philosophical, academic(al): His field is pure
science, and he cares little how the results of his work might
be applied to everyday life. 5 unalloyed, simple, unmitigated,
sheer, utter, absolute, unqualified, complete, total, perfect,
thorough, outright, downright, out-and-out, mere: Many regarded
the notion that man could ever fly as pure nonsense. Any
resemblance to a living person is pure coincidence. 6
honourable, (highly) principled, righteous, upright, honest,
straightforward, high-minded, pious, worthy, good, ethical,
virtuous, sincere, above suspicion, above reproach, like
Caesar's wife: Can anyone doubt that their motives in striving
for international peace are pure?
pure-bred adj. full-blooded, thoroughbred, pedigreed: We raise only
pure-bred Angus cattle.
purgative n. 1 laxative, cathartic, aperient, purge, physic, depurative:
The doctor prescribed a mild purgative, and she felt much better
next day.
--adj. 2 laxative, cathartic, aperient, evacuant, diuretic,
depurative; abstergent: We were totally unprepared for the