purser

American  

[pur-ser] / ˈpɜr sər /

noun

1. an officer on a ship who handles financial accounts and various documents relating to the ship and who keeps money and valuables for passengers.

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purser British  

/ ˈpɜːsə /

noun

1. an officer aboard a passenger ship, merchant ship, or aircraft who keeps the accounts and attends to the welfare of the passengers

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Etymology

Origin of purser

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at purse, -er ¹

Example Sentences

In 1970, Ms. Laffey Inman, a union leader and Northwest’s first female purser — the lead attendant on a flight — spearheaded a class-action suit, Laffey v.

From New York Times • Feb. 19, 2024

I raised it with the purser - the man was moved and spoken to, apparently.

From BBC • Jan. 18, 2017

Megan Allison, the ship’s purser, is filling in as cook the first night.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 15, 2016

I’d look up from time to time, studying my fellow passengers and the crew: the captain in the wheelhouse, the purser counting the take.

From The New Yorker • Oct. 31, 2014

A hasty visit to the purser, and an examination of the sailing list, showed her the astonishing truth.

From The Blue Lights A Detective Story by Kummer, Frederic Arnold