purse Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a container used for carrying money and small personal items or accessories (especially by women)
    handbag; bag; pocketbook.
    • she reached into her bag and found a comb
  2. noun a sum of money spoken of as the contents of a money purse
    • he made the contribution out of his own purse
    • he and his wife shared a common purse
  3. noun a small bag for carrying money
  4. noun a sum of money offered as a prize
    • the purse barely covered the winner's expenses
  5. verb contract one's lips into a rounded shape
  6. verb gather or contract into wrinkles or folds; pucker
    wrinkle.
    • purse ones's lips

WordNet

Purse noun
Etymology
OE. purs, pors, OF. burse, borse, bourse, F. bourse, LL. bursa, fr. Gr. hide, skin, leather. Cf. Bourse, Bursch, Bursar, Buskin.
Definitions
  1. A small bag or pouch, the opening of which is made to draw together closely, used to carry money in; by extension, any receptacle for money carried on the person; a wallet; a pocketbook; a portemonnaie. Chaucer.
    Who steals my purse steals trash. Shak.
  2. Hence, a treasury; finances; as, the public purse.
  3. A sum of money offered as a prize, or collected as a present; as, to win the purse; to make up a purse.
  4. A specific sum of money; as: (a) In Turkey, the sum of 500 piasters. (b) In Persia, the sum of 50 tomans.
Purse transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Pursed ; present participle & verbal noun Pursing
Definitions
  1. To put into a purse.
    I will go and purse the ducats straight. Shak.
  2. To draw up or contract into folds or wrinkles, like the mouth of a purse; to pucker; to knit.
    Thou . . . didst contract and purse thy brow. Shak.
Purse intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To steal purses; to rob. Obs. & R.
    I'll purse: . . . I'll bet at bowling alleys. Beau. & Fl.

Webster 1913