wallet

[wol-it, waw-lit]

noun

1. a flat, folding pocketbook, especially one large enough to hold paper money, credit cards, driver's license, etc., and sometimes having a compartment for coins.

2. Chiefly British.,  a bag for carrying food, clothing, toilet articles, etc., during a journey; knapsack or rucksack.

wallet

/ ˈwɒlɪt /

noun

1. a small folding case, usually of leather, for holding paper money, documents, etc

2. a bag used to carry tools

3. archaic,  a rucksack or knapsack

Word History and Origins

Origin of wallet¹

1350–1400; Middle English walet < ?

Word History and Origins

Origin of wallet¹

C14: of Germanic origin; compare Old English weallian, Old High German wallōn to roam, German wallen to go on a pilgrimage

Example Sentences

What happens when the middle class isn’t so middle anymore, and the people who make those postcard-perfect towns run are left counting the dollars in their wallets — or the cans in their cupboards?

Read more on Salon

His wallet is worn black leather and is connected to his belt by a chain.

Read more on Salon

But when the rising fees pushed him to scrutinize his wallet, he noticed his two cards overlapped on several benefits, including credits for TSA PreCheck and baggage fees.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Federal workers and contractors will be tightening their wallets as they go without pay, and fewer people are commuting from the suburbs, leaving D.C.’s hospitality industry in a squeeze.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The firm expects companies like Sunrun, which operate using a model of third-party ownership—leasing out solar panels to homeowners—to snap up wallet share as the competitive landscape narrows.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• folder 
• pocketbook 
• purse