purse

noun

/pɜːs/

/pɜːrs/

Idioms

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[countable] (especially British English) a small bag made of leather, plastic, etc. for carrying coins and often also paper money, cards, etc., used especially by women
- I took a coin out of my purse and gave it to the child.
- She handed him a bulging velvet purse.
compare change purse, walletTopics Clothes and Fashiona2, Moneya2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- leather
- change
verb + purse
- open
- snatch
- steal
- …
preposition
- in somebody’s purse
See full entry
(North American English)
(also handbag British and North American English)
[countable] a small bag for money, keys, etc., carried especially by women
Extra Examples
- She grabbed her purse and headed out the door.
- I rummaged through my purse for my lip gloss.
- She had her purse snatched.
- She slung her black leather purse over her shoulder.
- She wore pink heels with a matching clutch purse.
- She fumbled in her purse for her glasses.
Topics Clothes and Fashiona2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- bulging
- leather
- silk
- …
verb + purse
- clutch
- hold
- carry
- …
purse + noun
- snatcher
preposition
- in somebody’s purse
phrases
- sling a purse over your shoulder
- throw a purse over your shoulder
See full entry
[singular] the amount of money that is available to a person, an organization or a government to spend
- We have holidays to suit every purse.
- Should spending on the arts be met out of the public purse (= from government money)?
see also privy purse
Extra Examples
- The reforms had drained the public purse.
- There is no money in the purse for this.
Topics Moneyc1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- public
verb + purse
- drain
purse + noun
- strings
preposition
- in the purse
See full entry
[countable] (sport) a sum of money given as a prize in a boxing matchTopics Sports: other sportsc2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- public
verb + purse
- drain
purse + noun
- strings
preposition
- in the purse
See full entry

Word Originlate Old English, alteration of late Latin bursa ‘purse’, from Greek bursa ‘hide, leather’. The current verb sense (from the notion of drawing purse strings) dates from the early 17th cent.

Idioms

(you can't) make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear

(you won't) succeed in making something good out of material that does not seem very good at allTopics Successc2

purse

verb

/pɜːs/

/pɜːrs/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they purse	/pɜːs/ /pɜːrs/
he / she / it purses	/ˈpɜːsɪz/ /ˈpɜːrsɪz/
past simple pursed	/pɜːst/ /pɜːrst/
past participle pursed	/pɜːst/ /pɜːrst/
-ing form pursing	/ˈpɜːsɪŋ/ /ˈpɜːrsɪŋ/

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purse your lips to form your lips into a small tight round shape, for example to show that you do not approve of something
Word Originlate Old English, alteration of late Latin bursa ‘purse’, from Greek bursa ‘hide, leather’. The current verb sense (from the notion of drawing purse strings) dates from the early 17th cent.