pocket money

noun

1. money for small, current expenses.

pocket money

noun

1. a small weekly sum of money given to children by parents as an allowance

2. money for day-to-day spending, incidental expenses, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of pocket money¹

First recorded in 1625–35

Idioms and Phrases

Also, spending money. Cash for incidental or minor expenses, as in They don't believe in giving the children pocket money without asking them to do chores, or Can I borrow a dollar? I'm out of all my spending money. The first term, dating from the early 1600s, alludes to keeping small sums in one's pocket; the second alludes to money that may be spent (as opposed to saved) and dates from the late 1500s.