purse
Americannoun
-
purses
plural
-
Also called change purse. a small bag, pouch, or case for carrying money.
-
anything resembling a purse in appearance, use, etc.
-
a sum of money offered as a prize or reward.
-
a sum of money collected as a present or the like.
-
money, resources, or wealth.
verb (used with object)
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purses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
pursed,
past participle, past
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pursing
present participle
-
to contract into folds or wrinkles; pucker.
to purse one's lips.
-
to put into a purse.
noun
-
a small bag or pouch, often made of soft leather, for carrying money, esp coins
-
a woman's handbag
-
anything resembling a small bag or pouch in form or function
-
wealth; funds
-
a sum of money that is offered, esp as a prize
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
pursesimple
-
pursessimple
-
have pursedperfect
-
has pursedperfect
-
am pursingprogressive
-
are pursingprogressive
-
is pursingprogressive
-
have been pursingperfect progressive
-
has been pursingperfect progressive
Past
-
pursedsimple
-
had pursedperfect
-
was pursingprogressive
-
were pursingprogressive
-
had been pursingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing purse
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Burnham said the changes would have to be "done carefully, without putting extra strain on the public purse".
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
She reached into her purse and pulled out her daughter’s report cards.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
A spokesperson for Newlon Housing Trust said that "this is not a picture we recognise", adding that they were bound by "strict rules about resales to protect the public purse".
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
“Want me to carry your purse for you?” he ribbed.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
My aunt smiles as she drops her purse on the kitchen counter.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
A retired government employee who now works at Dodger Stadium, Gonzalez buys herself one of Zaggle’s purses for every birthday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
"We hope that by putting this extraordinary bird into millions of pockets and purses, we can spark a nationwide conversation about a species at real risk of vanishing from Britain forever."
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
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
Beneath this level, a "Challenger Series" will run concurrently with purses worth at least $4m.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
After she left the dress department, Mrs. Trepid wandered around the store, touching purses and scarves and slips.
From "Ruby Holler" by Sharon Creech
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
Frowning brows, narrowing eyes and pursed lips often follow missed shots.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 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
You've got the thing up your nose and the pursed lips breathing.
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2024
Mama pursed her lips and Papa paced, all while Gran hollered about bringing the food out before it got cold.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
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
"Investigating burglary dwellings is a priority for Surrey Police and we will be relentless in pursing these offenders," Det Insp Ansell said.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2023
In 2016, the city stopped a developer from pursing a plan to put hundreds of apartments along Cahuenga Pass.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2023
Lowe said police are pursing all possibilities in the disappearance.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 14, 2023
Moss watched his mother start to say something, but she shut her mouth, pursing her lips.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
