petty cash

American  

noun

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

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petty cash British  

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of petty cash

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

petty cash

“Our staff keeps petty cash in case one of our clients needs an Uber or a hotel night or bus fare to get back home. The court doesn’t provide that.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2025

“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

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

I’d pulled two twenties and a ten from the petty cash for the party and both Jacksons were still in my pocket.

From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña