purse

American  

[purs] / pɜrs /

noun

• purses
  plural

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.

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verb (used with object)

• purses,
  present (3rd person singular)
• pursed,
  past participle,  past
• pursing
  present participle

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

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verb

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

purse Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing purse

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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• purseless
  adjective
• purselike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• purses
  plural

Participles

• pursing
  present
• pursed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• purse
  simple
• purses
  simple
• have pursed
  perfect
• has pursed
  perfect
• am pursing
  progressive
• are pursing
  progressive
• is pursing
  progressive
• have been pursing
  perfect progressive
• has been pursing
  perfect progressive

Past

• pursed
  simple
• had pursed
  perfect
• was pursing
  progressive
• were pursing
  progressive
• had been pursing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will purse
  simple
• will have pursed
  perfect
• will be pursing
  progressive
• will have been pursing
  perfect progressive

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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

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Explanation

Though purses are mostly carried by women, this is the kind of purse anyone would love to bring home: it's a prize, usually consisting of money. The most common meaning of purse, as a woman's bag, can definitely help you remember the "prize" meaning of purse, because a woman who won a purse could carry her winnings in a purse. The non-bag type of purse is usually associated with sporting events: boxers and jockeys win purses. Other times, purse is used to describe money won in another context, like a photography contest. Another meaning is totally different: if you pucker or contract your lips, you're pursing them.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

purse purses pursed pursing

She now carries dog-poop bags in her purse every time she flies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Most of these vessels are purse seiners or trawlers, which deploy vast nets to capture dense schools of fish.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

“Want me to carry your purse for you?” he ribbed.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

Standing on the sidelines, the 25-year-old girlfriend of head coach Bill Belichick wore a Carolina jersey that had been fashioned into a crop top and a bedazzled football purse.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

I grind my teeth trying to figure out what to say when Celia breezes through, lunch bag in one hand, purse in the other.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

Christina Gonzalez met her in 2023 when she wandered into the store, drawn to the handmade sign and leather purses on the door.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

That doesn’t mean these particular investments are ones to match right now for investors with shorter time horizons and far lighter purses.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

Beneath this level, a "Challenger Series" will run concurrently with purses worth at least $4m.

From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026

“They tucked them into purses, filing cabinets, cookbooks and memory boxes because they believed they would be valuable someday. We think they were right.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026

All the kids hoped they’d win the wishing penny raffle after making their very own monster coin purses.

From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry

Two young women who appeared to be in their early 20s posed for selfies under a “Wish Tree,” mouths pursed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026

In the current, so-called third design generation, the hood slopes down to form the stiff upper lip of a mouth pursed with purpose.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2025

He stares at me directly, lips pursed, and chin raised, as he sits before the judge.

From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2024

You've got the thing up your nose and the pursed lips breathing.

From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2024

He stood viewing the proceedings with disgust, lips pursed and hands on hips.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

“I’m going to choose my words wisely here,” she says, pursing her lips.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2025

Enter the anti-wrinkle straw, shaped like the number 7, with a small hole at the top horizontal portion that allows users to drink without pursing their lips.

From New York Times ● Apr. 15, 2024

"Investigating burglary dwellings is a priority for Surrey Police and we will be relentless in pursing these offenders," Det Insp Ansell said.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2023

Lowe said police are pursing all possibilities in the disappearance.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 14, 2023

I can imagine her dark brown eyes cutting to the side, and her full lips pursing.

From "Fast Pitch" by Nic Stone

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Related Words

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