'Purse' definitions:

Definition of 'purse'

(from WordNet)
noun
A container used for carrying money and small personal items or accessories (especially by women); "she reached into her bag and found a comb" [syn: bag, handbag, pocketbook, purse]
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"
noun
A small bag for carrying money
noun
A sum of money offered as a prize; "the purse barely covered the winner's expenses"
verb
Contract one's lips into a rounded shape
verb
Gather or contract into wrinkles or folds; pucker; "purse ones's lips" [syn: purse, wrinkle]

Definition of 'Purse'

From: GCIDE
  • Purse \Purse\, n. [OE. purs, pors, OF. burse, borse, bourse, F. bourse, LL. bursa, fr. Gr. ? hide, skin, leather. Cf. Bourse, Bursch, Bursar, Buskin.]
  • 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. [1913 Webster]
  • Who steals my purse steals trash. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. Hence, a treasury; finances; as, the public purse. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. A sum of money offered as a prize, or collected as a present; as, to win the purse; to make up a purse. [1913 Webster]
  • 4. A specific sum of money; as: (a) In Turkey, the sum of 500 piasters. (b) In Persia, the sum of 50 tomans. [1913 Webster]
  • Light purse, or Empty purse, poverty or want of resources.
  • Long purse, or Heavy purse, wealth; riches.
  • Purse crab (Zool.), any land crab of the genus Birgus, allied to the hermit crabs. They sometimes weigh twenty pounds or more, and are very strong, being able to crack cocoanuts with the large claw. They chiefly inhabit the tropical islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, living in holes and feeding upon fruit. Called also palm crab.
  • Purse net, a fishing net, the mouth of which may be closed or drawn together like a purse. --Mortimer.
  • Purse pride, pride of money; insolence proceeding from the possession of wealth. --Bp. Hall.
  • Purse rat. (Zool.) See Pocket gopher, under Pocket.
  • Sword and purse, the military power and financial resources of a nation. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Purse'

From: GCIDE
  • Purse \Purse\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pursed; p. pr. & vb. n. Pursing.]
  • 1. To put into a purse. [1913 Webster]
  • I will go and purse the ducats straight. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. To draw up or contract into folds or wrinkles, like the mouth of a purse; to pucker; to knit. [1913 Webster]
  • Thou . . . didst contract and purse thy brow. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Purse'

From: GCIDE
  • Purse \Purse\, v. i. To steal purses; to rob. [Obs. & R.] [1913 Webster]
  • I'll purse: . . . I'll bet at bowling alleys. --Beau. & Fl. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'purse'

From: Easton
  • Purse
  • Gr. balantion, a bag (Luke 10:4; 22:35, 36).
  • Gr. zone, properly a girdle (Matt. 10:9; Mark 6:8), a money-belt. As to our Lord's sending forth his disciples without money in their purses, the remark has been made that in this "there was no departure from the simple manners of the country. At this day the farmer sets out on excursions quite as extensive without a para in his purse; and a modern Moslem prophet of Tarshisha thus sends forth his apostles over this identical region. No traveller in the East would hestitate to throw himself on the hospitality of any village." Thomson's Land and the Book. (See SCRIP.)

Synonyms of 'purse'

From: Moby Thesaurus

Words containing 'Purse'