purse

American  

[purs] / pɜrs /

noun

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)

pursed, pursing

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

• purseless
  adjective
• purselike
  adjective

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

Many filmmakers told me that those who hold the purse strings don’t consider such filmmaking a good investment.

From Salon • May 22, 2026

Not intricate rugs from Istanbul, a designer purse from Paris or an art piece from Florence.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

Krisht managed to find a purse with her mother's last hand-written poem inside.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

A Times reporter was waved toward the entrance without showing a ticket as she tried to get it out of her purse.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026

Only two dogs lived in my neighborhood: Mitzy, who always rode shotgun in Mrs. Hathaway’s purse, and a Saint Bernard who was sweet but grossed me out with his constant globs of slobber.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

Related Words

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