an outline or contour drawing, particularly the drawing of the outline of the human face as seen from the side, or in architecture the contour of a part of a building, of a moulding, &c., as shown by a vertical section. In fortification the " profile " of an earthwork is an outline of a transverse section and gives the relative thickness; so a work is said to be " of strong " or " of weak " profile. The Fr. profil, formerly poofil, pourfil, Ital. profilo, profilo, are formed from Lat. pro, and filare, to draw a line, filum, thread.
The French pourfil also gave English " purfle," to embroider the edge of a fabric with gold or other thread; this was further corrupted to; ` purl," now often wrongly spelt " pearl," an inverted stitch in knitting.