purse

P0205800 (pûrs)n.1. A usually closable bag used for carrying keys, a wallet, and other personal items, especially by women; a handbag.2. A usually closable small bag or pouch for carrying money.3. Something that resembles a bag or pouch, such as a purse seine.4. An available amount of money or resources: a project funded by the public purse.5. A sum of money collected as a present or offered as a prize.tr.v. pursed, purs·ing, purs·es To gather or contract (the lips or brow) into wrinkles or folds; pucker.

[Middle English, from Old English, from Late Latin bursa; see bursa.]

purse′like′ adj.

purse

(pɜːs) n1. (Clothing & Fashion) a small bag or pouch, often made of soft leather, for carrying money, esp coins2. (Clothing & Fashion) US and Canadian a woman's handbag3. (Clothing & Fashion) anything resembling a small bag or pouch in form or function4. (Banking & Finance) wealth; funds5. (Banking & Finance) a sum of money that is offered, esp as a prizevb (Physiology) (tr) to contract (the mouth, lips, etc) into a small rounded shape[Old English purs, probably from Late Latin bursa bag, ultimately from Greek: leather]

purse

(pɜrs)

n., v. pursed, purs•ing. n. 1. a woman's handbag or pocketbook. 2. a small bag, pouch, or case for carrying money: a change purse. 3. anything resembling a purse in appearance, use, etc. 4. a sum of money offered as a prize or collected as a gift. 5. financial resources; wealth. v.t. 6. to contract into folds; pucker: to purse one's lips. 7. to put into a purse. [before 1100; Middle English, Old English purs, b. pusa bag (c. Old Norse posi) and Medieval Latin bursa bag (« Greek býrsa hide, leather)]

purse

In British English, a purse is a small container that a woman carries money in.

I always have my phone, purse, and keys in my handbag.

In American English, this is called a change purse, coin purse, pocketbook, or wallet.

Eva searched her change purse and found fifty cents.

The word wallet is also used in British English, but only to refer to a container that a man carries money in.

Dad opened his wallet and gave me a ten pound note.

In American English, a purse is a woman's handbag.

She reached in her purse for her diary.

purse

Past participle: pursed
Gerund: pursing

Imperative
purse
purse

Present
I purse
you purse
he/she/it purses
we purse
you purse
they purse

Preterite
I pursed
you pursed
he/she/it pursed
we pursed
you pursed
they pursed

Present Continuous
I am pursing
you are pursing
he/she/it is pursing
we are pursing
you are pursing
they are pursing

Present Perfect
I have pursed
you have pursed
he/she/it has pursed
we have pursed
you have pursed
they have pursed

Past Continuous
I was pursing
you were pursing
he/she/it was pursing
we were pursing
you were pursing
they were pursing

Past Perfect
I had pursed
you had pursed
he/she/it had pursed
we had pursed
you had pursed
they had pursed

Future
I will purse
you will purse
he/she/it will purse
we will purse
you will purse
they will purse

Future Perfect
I will have pursed
you will have pursed
he/she/it will have pursed
we will have pursed
you will have pursed
they will have pursed

Future Continuous
I will be pursing
you will be pursing
he/she/it will be pursing
we will be pursing
you will be pursing
they will be pursing

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been pursing
you have been pursing
he/she/it has been pursing
we have been pursing
you have been pursing
they have been pursing

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been pursing
you will have been pursing
he/she/it will have been pursing
we will have been pursing
you will have been pursing
they will have been pursing

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been pursing
you had been pursing
he/she/it had been pursing
we had been pursing
you had been pursing
they had been pursing

Conditional
I would purse
you would purse
he/she/it would purse
we would purse
you would purse
they would purse

Past Conditional
I would have pursed
you would have pursed
he/she/it would have pursed
we would have pursed
you would have pursed
they would have pursed

purse

Prize money for the boxers.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	purse - a container used for carrying money and small personal items or accessories (especially by women); "she reached into her bag and found a comb"handbag, pocketbook, bagclasp - a fastener (as a buckle or hook) that is used to hold two things togetherclutch bag, clutch - a woman's strapless purse that is carried in the handcontainer - any object that can be used to hold things (especially a large metal boxlike object of standardized dimensions that can be loaded from one form of transport to another)etui - small ornamental ladies' bag for small articlesevening bag - a handbag used with evening wearreticule - a woman's drawstring handbag; usually made of net or beading or brocade; used in 18th and 19th centuriesshoulder bag - a large handbag that can be carried by a strap looped over the shoulder
	2.	purse - 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"amount, amount of money, sum, sum of money - a quantity of money; "he borrowed a large sum"; "the amount he had in cash was insufficient"
	3.	purse - a small bag for carrying moneybag - a flexible container with a single opening; "he stuffed his laundry into a large bag"purse string - a drawstring used to close the mouth of a purse
	4.	purse - a sum of money offered as a prize; "the purse barely covered the winner's expenses"amount, amount of money, sum, sum of money - a quantity of money; "he borrowed a large sum"; "the amount he had in cash was insufficient"
Verb	1.	purse - contract one's lips into a rounded shaperound off, round, round out - make round; "round the edges"pooch, pooch out - round one's lips as if intending to kiss
	2.	purse - gather or contract into wrinkles or folds; pucker; "purse ones's lips"wrinklecontract - make smaller; "The heat contracted the woollen garment"

purse

noun1. pouch, wallet, money-bag I dug the money out of my purse.2. (U.S.) handbag, bag, shoulder bag, pocket book, clutch bag She reached into her purse for her cigarettes.3. funds, means, money, resources, treasury, wealth, exchequer, coffers, wherewithal The money will go into the public purse, helping to lower taxes.4. prize, winnings, award, gift, reward She is tipped to win the biggest purse in women's pro volleyball history.verb1. pucker, close, contract, tighten, knit, wrinkle, pout, press together She pursed her lips in disapproval.

Translations

噘起嘴小钱包手提包钱包

purse

(pəːs) noun1. a small bag for carrying money. I looked in my purse for some change.小钱包2. (American) a handbag. 手提包 verb to close (the lips) tightly. She pursed her lips in anger.噘起嘴ˈpurser noun the officer in charge of a ship's money, supplies etc. （轮船的）事务长

purse

→ 钱包zhCN

purse

loosen the purse strings

To become more liberal with one's expenditures; to increase the availability of money for spending purposes. After having to count my pennies for so long, it's nice to be able to loosen the purse strings a bit! We'd have a much better and more stable product if the boss would loosen the purse strings a little.See also: loosen, purse, string

tighten the purse strings

To become less liberal with or more controlling of one's expenditures; to decrease the availability of money for spending purposes. After losing my job, I've had to tighten the purse strings quite a bit. We've been behind schedule ever since the boss decided to tighten the purse strings on our project.See also: purse, string, tighten

purse strings

The spending power of a given group, such as a family, company, country, etc. Their government is going to have to learn to tighten the purse strings if they want to continue receiving bailout money from the IMF. After my dad's gambling problem came to light, it was my mother who started holding the purse strings.See also: purse, string

make a silk purse (out) of a sow's ear

To fashion something beautiful or valuable out of poor materials. Often used in the negative, such as "cannot make a silk purse of a sow's ear." What do you want me to do with this tacky dress? I can't make a silk purse of a sow's ear!See also: ear, make, of, purse, silk

a heavy purse makes a light heart

If you are financially secure, you will not worry. Money doesn't buy happiness, but it sure helps to solve a lot of life's little problems. A heavy purse makes a light heart.See also: heart, heavy, light, make, purse

control the purse strings

To dictate the spending of a given group, such as a family, company, country, etc. After my dad's gambling problem came to light, my mother started to control the purse strings. The finance department controls the purse strings around here.See also: control, purse, string

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

You cannot fashion something beautiful or valuable out of poor materials. What do you want me to do with this tacky fabric? You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear!See also: ear, make, of, purse, silk

hold the purse strings

To dictate the spending of a given group, such as a family, company, country, etc. After my dad's gambling problem came to light, my mother started holding the purse strings. The finance department holds the purse strings around here.See also: hold, purse, string

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

a light purse makes a heavy heart

1. Proverb Not having enough money can cause one to suffer a lot of stress, worry, and unhappiness. I know you can't comprehend why there's so much depression, anxiety, and anger in this part of the country, but that's because you've never been forced to live in poverty. If you had, you'd understand that a light purse makes a heavy heart.2. Proverb By extension, one should not spend their money frivolously or wastefully, lest it lead to one's unhappiness. I know you're excited to go to the casinos on your trip to Las Vegas, but be careful how you handle your money—a light purse makes for a heavy heart.See also: heart, heavy, light, make, purse

little and often fills the purse

Earning or save small amounts of money as frequently as possible will provide the income or savings that one needs. I never had a proper career, instead making my living by doing various jobs for people all around the city. I might not have had a fat paycheck at the end of each month, but little and often fills the purse. Try to get into the habit of dropping 10, 20, 30 dollars into a savings account whenever you can spare it—little and often fills the purse.See also: and, fill, little, often, purse

purse up

1. To pucker one's lips, as when tasting something sour or preparing for a kiss. I caught him pursing up and moving in for a kiss out the corner of my eye, so I pretended that I was getting a phone call from my friend. The kid purse up when he put the sour candy in his mouth.2. To shrink in size and become wrinkled; to shrivel up. Her skin pursed up in goose pimples when she walked out into the cold night air. You have to stretch the material out so it doesn't purse up as it dries.3. To cause something to contract or bunch up. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can used between "purse" and "up." Pull the two drawstrings to purse up the opening of the bag. Stop pursing your lips up like that—you look ridiculous!See also: purse, up

he that hath a full purse never wanted a friend

Wealthy people usually have no trouble finding and keeping friends. Of course Paul has a lot of hangers-on now that he's a famous actor—he that hath a full purse never wanted a friend.See also: friend, full, hath, he, never, purse, that, want

control the purse strings

and hold the purse stringsFig. to be in charge of the money in a business or a household. I control the purse strings at our house. Mr. Williams is the treasurer. He controls the purse strings.See also: control, purse, string

He that hath a full purse never wanted a friend.

Prov. A rich person always has plenty of friends. Jill: Ever since Joe won the lottery, he's been getting congratulations from friends and relatives he hasn't heard from in years. Jane: You know how it is. He that hath a full purse never wanted a friend.See also: friend, full, hath, he, never, purse, that, want

A heavy purse makes a light heart.

Prov. If you have plenty of money, you will feel happy and secure. Everyone in the office is especially cheerful on payday, since a heavy purse makes a light heart.See also: heart, heavy, light, make, purse

light purse makes a heavy heart

Prov. If you do not have enough money, you will worry and be unhappy. Nathan is a cheerful person by nature, but since he lost his job, worry has made him glum. A light purse makes a heavy heart.See also: heart, heavy, light, make, purse

Little and often fills the purse.

Prov. If you get a little bit of money frequently, you will always have enough. Jill: I don't think I'll ever be able to save very much; I can only afford to save such a little bit of money from every paycheck. Jane: Ah, but little and often fills the purse.See also: and, fill, little, often, purse

purse something up

to bunch or pucker something up. (Usually the lips.) When he tasted the lemon juice, he pursed his lips up and spat it out. Don pursed up his lips as if to spit it out.See also: purse, up

You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

Prov. You cannot make someone more refined than he or she is by nature. I've given up trying to get my cousin to appreciate classical music. You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.See also: cannot, ear, make, of, out, purse, silk

can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear

Be unable to turn something ugly or inferior into something attractive or of value, as in No matter how expensive his clothes, he still looks sloppy-you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear . This expression was already a proverb in the mid-1500s. See also: ear, make, of, out, purse, silk

purse strings

Financial resources or control of them, as in His mother doesn't want to let go of the purse strings because he may make some foolish investments . This expression is often extended to hold or tighten or loosen the purse strings , as in As long as Dad holds the purse strings, we have to consider his wishes, or The company is tightening the purse strings and will not be hiring many new people this year . The purse strings in this idiom are the means of opening and closing a drawstring purse. [Early 1400s] See also: purse, string

hold the purse strings

COMMON If you hold the purse strings, you control the way that money is spent in a particular family, organization, or country. Six out of ten women think that financial institutions treat them like idiots, even though they usually hold the domestic purse strings. Note: People sometimes use control instead of hold. His department controls the purse strings, and he will make sure that other departments spend money to meet targets he has set. Note: This expression is often varied. For instance, you can talk about someone's hold on the purse strings or control of the purse strings. His manager was in sole control of the purse strings.See also: hold, purse, string

loosen the purse strings

loosen your purse strings

If you loosen the purse strings or loosen your purse strings, you allow more money to be spent. If the Treasury loosens the purse strings, many authorities will be delighted to spend. Companies are loosening their purse strings and making investments in network improvements.See also: loosen, purse, string

tighten the purse strings

tighten your purse strings

If you tighten the purse strings or tighten your purse strings, you reduce the amount of money that can be spent. Election promises must be delayed while the government tightens its purse strings.See also: purse, string, tighten

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

If you say you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, you mean that it is impossible to make something very successful or of high quality out of something which is unsuccessful or of poor quality. He did his best to coach the team but you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Note: People often vary this expression. It takes more than a good swimming pool and an indoor tennis court or two to make a sow's ear of a resort into a silk purse. Afterwards, Kendall made no attempt to describe this sow's ear as a silk purse. Note: A sow is a female pig, and the ears of a pig are regarded as the least useful body parts when the animal is slaughtered. See also: ear, make, of, out, purse, silk

hold the purse strings

have control of expenditure.See also: hold, purse, string

make a silk purse out of a sow's ear

turn something inferior into something of top quality. The observation that you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear has been proverbial since the late 16th century; there was an earlier version which featured a goat's fleece instead of a sow's ear .See also: ear, make, of, out, purse, silk

control/hold the ˈpurse strings

(informal) be the person who controls the amount of money spent and the way in which it is spent: I’m the one who controls the purse strings in this office, and you must come to me if you want any more money.See also: control, hold, purse, string

make a silk ˌpurse out of a sow’s ˈear

succeed in making something good out of material that does not seem very good at all: If you’re serious about taking up painting, invest in good quality brushes and canvas. After all, it’s no good trying to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.See also: ear, make, of, out, purse, silk

can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear

One cannot turn something inherently inferior into something of value. This proverbial metaphor dates from about 1500, and with some slight variation (“silk” is sometimes “velvet”) makes its way from proverb collections (by Howell, Ray, Dykes, et al.) into literature (Samuel Richardson, Laurence Sterne, Jonathan Swift, Charles Lamb, Robert Browning, George Bernard Shaw, and Clifford Odets, among others). See also: ear, make, of, out, purse, silk

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

You cannot turn something inferior or bad into something of value. This proverbial warning was issued in various forms from the sixteenth century on. It clearly had no literal basis; indeed, the absurdity of trying to turn pig’s ears into silk (or velvet or satin, as some variants have it) no doubt helped the saying survive. See also: ear, make, of, out, purse, silk

purse

purse

purse

purse

purse

purse

purse

purse

purse

purse

purse

loosen the purse strings

tighten the purse strings

purse strings

make a silk purse (out) of a sow's ear

a heavy purse makes a light heart

control the purse strings

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

hold the purse strings

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

a light purse makes a heavy heart

little and often fills the purse

purse up

he that hath a full purse never wanted a friend

control the purse strings

He that hath a full purse never wanted a friend.

A heavy purse makes a light heart.

light purse makes a heavy heart

Little and often fills the purse.

purse something up

You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear

purse strings

hold the purse strings

loosen the purse strings

loosen your purse strings

tighten the purse strings

tighten your purse strings

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

hold the purse strings

make a silk purse out of a sow's ear

control/hold the ˈpurse strings

make a silk ˌpurse out of a sow’s ˈear

can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear

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

Purse

What does it mean when you dream about a purse?

Purse

purse

Synonyms for purse

noun pouch

Synonyms

noun handbag

Synonyms

noun funds

Synonyms

noun prize

Synonyms

verb pucker

Synonyms

Synonyms for purse

noun a container used for carrying money and small personal items or accessories (especially by women)

Synonyms

Related Words

noun a sum of money spoken of as the contents of a money purse

Related Words

noun a small bag for carrying money

Related Words

noun a sum of money offered as a prize

Related Words

verb contract one's lips into a rounded shape

Related Words

verb gather or contract into wrinkles or folds

Synonyms

Related Words