perm
UK[pɜːm]US[pɜːrm]
n
A hairstyle produced by setting the hair in waves or curls and then treating it with chemicals so that the style lasts for several months.
v
To treat (hair) with chemicals to produce a perm.
Etymology
The word 'perm' is a classic example of lexical clipping, emerging in the early 20th century as a colloquial abbreviation of 'permanent wave'. The original phrase 'permanent wave' described a hairdressing technique invented in 1906 that used heat and chemicals to create long-lasting curls, contrasting with temporary styles set with pins or rollers. The adjective 'permanent' itself derives from Latin permanens, meaning 'remaining to the end', from per- ('through') and manere ('to remain'). Over time, the clipped form 'perm' became the standard term, completely displacing the longer phrase in common usage to denote both the hairstyle and the process of creating it.
Analysis
The word 'perm' is a clipped form (shortening) of the word 'permanent', specifically from the phrase 'permanent wave'. It functions as a simplex word in modern English.
Examples
She decided to get a perm to add volume to her straight hair.
My grandmother used to perm her hair every few months in the 1980s.
The salon charges more for a perm than for a simple haircut.