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

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

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

Fundamentally, what makes a legislature powerful is its control over taxing and spending, the power of the purse.

From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026

Once inside her childhood home, Annie was frightened by what she found—her mother’s purse and iPhone, items Nancy always kept close at hand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

I couldn’t tell whether she meant the jazz CD Stephen was holding or “The Secret Garden,” but I took it as permission nonetheless and slipped the book into my purse.

From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026

Maybe I should be looking for a purse.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

When she pulled tissues out of her purse to blow her nose, Nathan said, “Uncle Jet’s going to be okay, Nali.”

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young

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

In the urban-focused section, the handles of purses or luggage are adhered to sections of the work patterned like brick and embedded with small windows.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

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

From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026

They paid exorbitant fees to put on tournaments with lucrative purses featuring elite players such as Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026

She purses her lips, then says, “You need stitches.”

From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth

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

There were sunglasses, silly expressions and pursed selfie faces in the mirror.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026

Windsor, wearing a grey sweatshirt, sighed and pursed his lips in the dock as the verdicts were announced.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2025

The retired aerospace engineer, who lives in Sierra Madre, did about four reps before his teeth clenched, his legs trembled and he let out short puffs of air through pursed lips.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2024

Zafoona had pursed her lips in contemplation as Habib had pushed on.

From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai

Doncic capped his show by drilling a three-pointer that gave the Lakers a 19-point lead, his showmanship including pursing of his lips while doing a shimmy to the adoring crowd.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2025

Big tech firms are spending vast amounts of money pursing these goals.

From BBC ● Jun. 18, 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

Lowe said police are pursing all possibilities in the disappearance.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 14, 2023

I also become renowned in school for imitating famous singers, using an imaginary microphone, flinging my hair around and dancing and singing and pursing my lips.

From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau

Related Words

• bag
• handbag
• pocket
• pocketbook
• pouch
• wallet