PURSE | Meaning, Definition In Cambridge English Dictionary

Meaning of purse in English pursenoun uk /pɜːs/ us /pɝːs/

purse noun (CONTAINER)

Add to word list Add to word list A2 [ C ] UK (US change purse) a small container for money, usually used by a woman: a leather purse Compare wallet   Ng Sok Lian/EyeEm/GettyImages [ C ] US a handbag   digibabe/iStock/Getty Images Plus/GettyImages

• She tipped the contents of her purse out onto the table.
• She had her purse snatched while she was in town.

Containers for carrying personal possessions

• attaché case
• baby carrier
• baby sling
• baggage
• baggage allowance
• billfold
• Dopp kit
• duffel bag
• fanny pack
• garment bag
• grip
• packsack
• pannier
• papoose
• pillbox
• portmanteau
• rucksack
• sack
• wallet
• washbag

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purse noun (AMOUNT TO SPEND)

[ C usually singular ] the total amount of money that an organization or government has available for spending: Having a lot of people out of work places a large drain on the public purse. Interest & capital

• annualized
• APR
• bank rate
• base rate
• capital intensive
• coffer
• concessional
• finance
• interest rate
• interest-bearing
• lending rate
• money
• non-derivative
• Premium Bond
• reserve
• simple interest
• sinking fund
• stock
• the purse strings idiom
• working capital

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purse noun (PRIZE)

[ C ] an amount of money that is offered as a prize in a sports competition: The players in the golf tournament are competing for a purse of £525,000. Amounts of money

• appropriation
• balance
• bank
• buck
• budget
• circumstance
• coin
• fisc
• float
• holdback
• ill-gotten gains
• living wage
• lump sum
• money supply
• nut
• payout
• pool
• sub
• trough
• your daily bread idiom

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Idiom

the purse strings purseverb [ T ] uk /pɜːs/ us /pɝːs/ to bring your lips tightly together so that they form a rounded shape, usually as an expression of disapproval: "I don't approve of that kind of language," she said, pursing her lips. Grimacing and frowning

• bitchy resting face
• cloud
• curl
• death stare
• evil
• eye roll
• eye rolling
• eyebrow
• glare
• glare at someone/something
• glower
• glower at someone
• grimace
• if looks could kill... idiom
• roll
• roll your eyes idiom
• scowl
• scowling
• scowlingly
• screw

See more results » (Definition of purse from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

purse | American Dictionary

pursenoun [ C ] us /pɜrs/

purse noun [C] (BAG)

Add to word list Add to word list a bag, often with a handle or a strap going over the shoulder, used esp. by women for carrying money, keys, and small personal items such as makeup; a pocketbook

purse noun [C] (AMOUNT OF MONEY)

an amount of money offered as a prize in a sporting competition, or the total amount of money available for spending: Yesterday’s race had a purse worth over $100,000. purseverb [ T ] us /pɜrs/

purse verb [T] (MOVE LIPS)

to bring your lips tightly together so that they form a rounded shape: She pursed her lips and said nothing. (Definition of purse from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

purse | Business English

pursenoun [ C ]   FINANCE uk /pɜːs/ us Add to word list Add to word list [ usually singular ] the total amount of money that a person, organization, or government has available to spend: Having a lot of people out of work places a large drain on the public purse. The motor company sought to sell 'a car for every purse'. an amount of money that is offered as a prize in a sports competition: The sponsorship deal includes a €10,000 purse for the winner of the tournament. See also electronic purse  hold/control the purse strings to be in charge of a family's or organization's money and responsible for deciding what it will be spent on: She is the typical Japanese housewife who controls the family's purse strings.  loosen the purse strings to spend more money or to allow people to have or spend more money: He might even persuade the board to loosen the purse strings.  tighten the purse strings to spend less money or to allow people to have or spend less money: When a company needs to tighten the purse strings, outside labor is the first to get cut. (Definition of purse from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press) What is the pronunciation of purse?

Translations of purse

in Chinese (Traditional) 錢包, （常指女用）錢包, （尤指女式）手提包，手袋… See more in Chinese (Simplified) 钱包, （常指女用）钱包, （尤指女式）手提包，手袋… See more in Spanish monedero, bolso, bolso [masculine… See more in Portuguese carteira, porta-níqueis, bolsa… See more in Marathi in Japanese in Turkish in French in Catalan in Dutch in Tamil in Hindi in Gujarati in Danish in Swedish in Malay in German in Norwegian in Urdu in Ukrainian in Telugu in Bengali in Czech in Indonesian in Thai in Vietnamese in Polish in Korean in Italian पर्स, पैशांची छोटी पिशवी… See more （主に女性用の）財布, ハンドバッグ, 女性用の小銭入（こぜにい）れ… See more para çantası, cüzdan, bayan çantası… See more sac [masculine] à main, porte-monnaie [masculine], porte-monnaie… See more portamonedes, bossa de mà… See more beurs, portemonnee, handtas… See more பணத்திற்கான ஒரு சிறிய கொள்கலன், பொதுவாக ஒரு பெண்ணால் பயன்படுத்தப்படுகிறது… See more (विशेषतः महिलाओं का) बटुआ… See more પર્સ, બટવો… See more pung, håndtaske, snerpe munden sammen… See more portmonnä, börs, handväska… See more beg duit, beg tangan, memuncungkan… See more die Geldbörse, die Handtasche, schürzen… See more håndveske [masculine], veske [masculine], pung [masculine]… See more پرس, بٹوا… See more гаманець, мішок, сумка… See more పర్సు… See more পার্স, সাধারণত মহিলাদের দ্বারা ব্যবহৃত ব্যাগ বা থলি… See more peněženka, kabelka, sevřít (rty)… See more dompet, tas tangan, mengatupkan bibir… See more กระเป๋าใส่เงินขนาดเล็ก, กระเป๋าถือ, เม้มปาก… See more cái ví, túi xách tay, mắm chặt… See more portmonetka, torebka, sznurować… See more 지갑, 핸드백… See more borsellino, portamonete, borsetta… See more Need a translator?

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purr purred purring purringly purse pursed purser pursing purslane {{#randomImageQuizHook.filename}} {{#randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} Test your vocabulary with our fun image quizzes Try a quiz now {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{^randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.filename}}

More meanings of purse

• pocketbook
• purse strings
• change purse
• electronic purse
• shepherd's purse
• purse, at change purse
• purse, at handbag

See all meanings

• the purse strings idiom
• vote with your purse, at vote with your wallet idiom
• you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear idiom

See all idioms and phrases

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Poker faced or heart on your sleeve? Showing or hiding emotions.

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• English   
  • Noun 
    • purse (CONTAINER)
    • purse (AMOUNT TO SPEND)
    • purse (PRIZE)
  Verb
• American   
  • Noun 
    • purse (BAG)
    • purse (AMOUNT OF MONEY)
  • Verb 
    • purse (MOVE LIPS)
• Business   
  • Noun 
    • purse
    • hold/control the purse strings
    • loosen the purse strings
    • tighten the purse strings

• Translations
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