Purse Definition & Meaning

American

British

Idioms

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms purse American [purs] / pɜrs /

noun

1. handbag.

2. Also called change purse. a small bag, pouch, or case for carrying money.

3. anything resembling a purse in appearance, use, etc.

4. a sum of money offered as a prize or reward.

5. a sum of money collected as a present or the like.

6. money, resources, or wealth.

verb (used with object)

pursed, pursing

1. to contract into folds or wrinkles; pucker.

   to purse one's lips.

2. to put into a purse.

purse British / pɜːs /

noun

1. a small bag or pouch, often made of soft leather, for carrying money, esp coins

2. a woman's handbag

3. anything resembling a small bag or pouch in form or function

4. wealth; funds

5. a sum of money that is offered, esp as a prize

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

1. (tr) to contract (the mouth, lips, etc) into a small rounded shape

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 purse Idioms

More idioms and phrases containing purse

• can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear

Other Word Forms

• purseless adjective
• purselike adjective

Etymology

Origin of purse

First recorded before 1100; (noun) Middle English, Old English purs, blend of pusa “bag” (cognate with Old Norse posi ) and Medieval Latin bursa “bag” (ultimately from Greek býrsa “hide, leather”); (verb) Middle English pursen “to put in a purse,” derivative of the noun

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Tour’s entire schedule is being rewritten to add top-tier events with smaller fields and larger purses to pit the best players against each other more frequently.

From The Wall Street Journal

She purses her lips and “hmms” a lot, trying to follow.

From Literature

She reached into a small red purse and gave coins to the guard.

From Literature

Simpson says staff were also told they would be given forms to apply for their pay through the insolvency service, which meant it would be "paid by the public purse".

From BBC

She’d stood over him the entire time, her eyes narrowed and mouth pursed into a thin line, and the kid had practically shrunk five inches by the time it was all over.

From Literature

Related Words

• bag
• handbag
• pocket
• pocketbook
• pouch
• wallet

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.