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purse

English · Thesaurus

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purse¹

  • /pɜːs/ Australia, UK
  • /pəːs/ British, Southern, Standard
  • /pɚs/ US
  • /pøːs/ New Zealand, Wales
  • /pʌɾs/ Scotland
  • /peːs/
  • /pɛːs/

Sounds like perse (fern–fir–fur merger) · Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)s

Where it comes from

From Middle English purs, from Old English purs (“purse”), partly from pusa (“wallet, bag, scrip”) and partly from burse (“pouch, bag”).

Old English pusa comes from Proto-West Germanic *pusō, from Proto-Germanic *pusô (“bag, sack, scrip”), and is cognate with Old High German pfoso (“pouch, purse”), Low German pūse (“purse, bag”), Old Norse posi (“purse, bag”), Danish pose (“purse, bag”). Old English burse comes from Medieval Latin bursa (“leather bag”) (compare English bursar), from Ancient Greek βύρσα (búrsa, “hide, wine-skin”).

Compare also Old French borse (French bourse), Old Saxon bursa (“bag”), Old High German burissa (“wallet”).

noun purses

  1. A small bag for carrying money. And then muſt many a man occupie as farre as his purſe would reache, and ſtretche out his legges accordynge to the length of his couerlet.

    Similar: pocketbook, coin purse, change purse

  2. US A handbag (small bag usually used by women for carrying various small personal items) Master leathercrafter does handcrafted wallets, belts, purses, handbags etc., supporting self and helpers. Good enough to carve fantst art and portraits into leather.

    Similar: handbag

  3. A quantity of money given for a particular purpose. It was a historic and a hefty battle when Myler and Percy were scheduled to don the gloves for the purse of fifty sovereigns.

    Similar: bursary, grant, funds

  4. historical A specific sum of money in certain countries: formerly 500 piastres in Turkey or 50 tomans in Persia.

verb purses · pursing · pursed

  1. transitive To press (one's lips) in and together so that they protrude. 1901, Matilde Serao, The Land of Cockayne, translator not credited, London: Heinemann, Chapter IV, p. 72, https://archive.org/details/landofcockayne00seraiala The serving Sister pursed up her lips to remind him of the cloistral rule, almost as if she wanted to prevent any conversation between him an

    Similar: round

  2. To draw up or contract into folds or wrinkles; to pucker; to knit. […] thou […] didst contract and purse thy brow together, / As if thou then hadst shut up in thy brain / Some horrible conceit: […]
  3. To put into a purse. And I will go and purse the ducats straight,
  4. intransitive, obsolete, rare To steal purses; to rob. Why I'll purse; if that raise me not, I'll bet at bowling alleys, or man whores: I would fain live by others.

Similar: pucker

Purse²

  • /pɜːs/ UK
  • /pɝs/ US

Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)s

Where it comes from

A metonymic occupational surname for someone who made bags or purses, from Middle English purse.

proper noun Purses

  1. A surname from Middle English.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: pocketbook, handbag, bag, wrinkle, pouch, tote, sack, pocket, rucksack, satchel, knapsack, valise, pack, backpack, briefcase, suitcase

verb

Similar: pucker

Translations

Every language

noun small bag for carrying personal items

Españolbolsa, bolso, bulto, cartera, zacuto
中文手提包 shǒutíbāo
Portuguêsbolsa
Françaissac à main
DeutschHandtasche
Italianoborsetta
Ελληνικάτσαντάκι tsantáki
Românăpoșetă, geantă
Русскийсу́мка súmka, су́мочка súmočka
עבריתתיק tik

noun small bag for carrying money

Españolbolsa, monedero, cigarra
한국어지갑 jigap
日本語財布 saifu, パース pāsu, 札入れ satsuire
中文錢包 /钱包 qiánbāo, 錢袋 /钱袋 qiándài
हिन्दीपर्स pars, बटुआ baṭuā
Kiswahilimfuko
Portuguêsmoedeiro
Françaisbourse, portemonnaie, portefeuille
DeutschGeldbörse, Geldbeutel, Börse, Beutel, Portemonnaie
Italianoportafoglio, borsa, borsellino
Ελληνικάπορτοφόλι portofóli
Românăpungă, portmoneu, portofel
Русскийкошелёк košeljók, портмоне́ portmonɛ́, мошна́ mošná, бума́жник bumážnik
Tiếng Việtví tiền, ví, bóp
العربيةجِزْدَان jizdān, جُزْدَان juzdān, مِحْفَظَة miḥfaẓa, جَرَبَنْدِيَّة jarabandiyya
עבריתאַרְנָק arnák

noun quantity of money

Españolbolsa
Portuguêsfundo
Françaisbourse
Italianoborsa
Русскийказна́ kazná, де́ньги dénʹgi
עבריתסכום כסף skhum kesef, קופה kupa

verb to press (the lips) together

Españolfruncir
中文抿嘴 mǐnzuǐ
Françaispincer les lèvres
Deutschschürzen
Русскийподжима́ть podžimátʹ, подбира́ть podbirátʹ
עבריתקפץ שפתיים kafáts sfatáyim

verb to pucker

Españolfruncir
中文皱起 zhòuqǐ
Françaisfroncer, plisser
Русскиймо́рщить mórščitʹ
עבריתכיווץ kivéts

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Cite this
MLA

"purse." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/purse. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

purse. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/purse

Chicago

"purse." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/purse.

BibTeX
@misc{purse_2026,
  title = {purse},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/purse},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}