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perm

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perm¹

  • /pɝm/ US
  • /pɜːm/ UK

Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)m

Where it comes from

Short for permanent.

noun perms

  1. abbreviation, clipping Clipping of permanent wave (“hairstyle”).

    Similar: merm

verb perms · perming · permed

  1. To give hair a perm, using heat, chemicals etc.

perm²

  • /pɝm/ US
  • /pɜːm/ UK

Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)m

Where it comes from

Short for permutation.

noun perms

  1. informal A permutation.
  2. A combination of outcomes (not a permutation) that a gambler bets on in the football pools.

perm³

  • /pɝm/ US
  • /pɜːm/ UK

Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)m

Where it comes from

Short for permission.

noun perms

  1. Permission

Perm⁴

Where it comes from

Borrowed from Russian Пермь (Permʹ), probably from a Proto-Finno-Permic (Uralic) stem; compared to Estonian põrand, dialectal põrmand (“floor, ground”) by P. Alvre in Keel ja Kirjandus No 7, 1981, pp. 407-413. Compare Bjarmaland.

Appears on western maps as latinized Permia in the late 16th century (Mercator (1595)). The Russian city of Perm is a modern foundation, established under Peter I in 1723.

proper noun

  1. A historical region of northeastern Russia, corresponding to the Kama basin, a left tributary of the Volga.
  2. A krai and federal subject of Russia, near the Ural Mountains.
  3. A city, the administrative center of Perm Krai, Russia.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: permanent wave, permanent, molotov, lotion, standing, leave, ongoing, permanente, peroxide, paraffinate, thermopolymerize, hotpress, paraffine, paraffinise, repermeabilize, thermoplasticize

Translations

Every language

verb To treat hair, to give waves, by using heat and chemicals

日本語パーマにする pāma ni suru
Françaispermanenter

name city in Russia

EspañolPerm
한국어페름 pereum
日本語ペルミ Perumi
中文彼爾姆 /彼尔姆 Bǐ'ěrmǔ
हिन्दीपेर्म perm, पर्म parm
PortuguêsPerm
FrançaisPerm
DeutschPerm
РусскийПермь Permʹ, Пермь Великая Permʹ Velikaja, Пермь Камская Permʹ Kamskaja
Tiếng ViệtPecmi
العربيةبِيرْم bīrm
עבריתפרם perm

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Cite this
MLA

"perm." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/perm. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

perm. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/perm

Chicago

"perm." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/perm.

BibTeX
@misc{perm_2026,
  title = {perm},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/perm},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}