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

In addition to the purse money awarded in each race, a points system will be used to pay out bonuses from a $5 million prize pool based on the final standings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

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

From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026

Maybe I should be looking for a purse.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

Early doesn’t run like the Wayans brothers, dressed like women, trying to retrieve a stolen purse in “White Chicks.”

From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026

Then she grabbed her purse, stood up, and that was it.

From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell

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

From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026

The politicians and soldiers made what the British call a “pig’s ear” of Colonial policy, but the painters show that defeat was also the material of silk purses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026

An agreement is in place and both fighters are expected to earn career-high purses when they finally meet, with October or November the likely target dates.

From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026

Lavie would allegedly target higher-end items, such as designer clothing and purses.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 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

Her performance, featuring a giant disco ball pursed between two red lips, is gloriously OTT, and she has an enviable set of pipes.

From BBC ● May 9, 2025

That's a wonderful skill that pursed lips breathing.

From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2024

I’ll have to see him when I take him out tomorrow, and ignoring him now would mean a double dose of those pursed lips and teepee fingers later on.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 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

She dedicates “Shape of Me” to her mother, a breast cancer survivor, and reveals pursing therapy in the bouncy, self-reflective “Girl in the Mirror.”

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 19, 2023

“Well, if you change your mind...,” she says, pursing her lips.

From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

Related Words

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