petty cash

American  

noun

1. a cash fund for paying small charges, as for minor office supplies or deliveries.

---

petty cash British  

noun

1. a small cash fund kept on a firm's premises for the payment of minor incidental expenses

---

Etymology

Origin of petty cash

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

“We want the government to provide emergency services like helping fund tickets, food, petty cash, and cellphones and emergent medical needs on arrival,” Vazquez said.

From Washington Post • Jul. 14, 2022

The break has been nice, and I’ve DoorDashed to make some petty cash through it, while my partner has done odd jobs.

From Slate • Oct. 13, 2021

After a burglar bashed a hole in our front door, we kept the petty cash in the bookshelves behind a volume of Ezra Pound.

From The Guardian • Sep. 21, 2019

You can easily find the $10M in petty cash.

From New York Times • Dec. 15, 2015

With the petty cash Mr. Haber had given me, I’d found one at a Chinatown tailor shop: royal blue with a faint pattern of flowers.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu