purse

1 of 2

noun

ˈpərs How to pronounce purse (audio)
Synonyms of purse
1
a(1)
: a small bag for money
(2)
: a receptacle (such as a pocketbook) for carrying money and often other small objects
b
: a receptacle (such as a pouch) shaped like a purse
2
a
: resources, funds
b
: a sum of money offered as a prize or present
also : the total amount of money offered in prizes for a given event
purselike
ˈpərs-ˌlīk How to pronounce purse (audio)
adjective

purse

2 of 2

verb

pursed; pursing

transitive verb

1
: to put into a purse
2
: pucker, knit
pursed his brow

Synonyms of purse

Relevance

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of purse in a Sentence

Noun a golf tournament with a million dollar purse I left my purse at home, so I can't buy anything after all. Verb She pursed her lips in concentration. His lips were tightly pursed.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
The Preakness’ shorter distance of 1 3/16 miles is much more appealing than the grueling mile and a half of the Belmont, and race organizers certainly could bump up the purse from $2 million. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026 Her red Stuart Weitzman pumps matched her coat, while her brown purse balanced out the bold colors of the ensemble. — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026 Invasion biology forged a coalition of big corporations, government purse-string holders, and measured men—we’re talking Al Gore. — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026 The suspect scoured the woman’s apartment and stole $25 from her purse, then assaulted her again before leaving, Gianino said in the video shared Monday announcing Rollison’s arrest. — Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for purse

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English purs, from Old English, modification of Medieval Latin bursa, from Late Latin, ox hide, from Greek byrsa

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of purse was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing purse

Rhymes for purse

See All Rhymes for purse

Browse Nearby Words

pur sang
purse
purse bearer
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Purse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purse. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

purse

1 of 2 noun
ˈpərs How to pronounce purse (audio)
1
: a small container (as a wallet) for money
especially : a woman's pocketbook
2
: a source of supply or support
3
: a sum of money offered as a prize or present

purse

2 of 2 verb
pursed; pursing
1
: to put into a purse
2
: pucker entry 1
pursed lips
Etymology

Noun

Old English purs "a small bag for money, purse," from Latin bursa "purse," from earlier bursa "oxhide," from Greek byrsa (same meaning) — related to disburse, reimburse

More from Merriam-Webster on purse

Nglish: Translation of purse for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about purse

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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