purse /pûrs/

1. A small bag for carrying money
2. A sum of money in a purse
3. A sum given as a present or offered as a prize
4. Funds
5. Formerly, a live coal flying out of the fire, regarded as a good omen
6. A woman's handbag (N American)
7. A purse-like receptacle or cavity (obsolete medicine or biology)

1. To put into a purse or one's own purse, to pocket
2. To contract (one's lips) into a rounded, puckered shape, esp in order to express displeasure, etc
3. To contract or draw into folds or wrinkles

1. To pucker
2. To steal purses (obsolete)

purseˈful noun

1. As much as a purse can hold
2. Enough to fill a purse

pursˈer noun

1. Formerly, a naval paymaster
2. An officer in charge of cabins, stewards, etc

pursˈership noun

purseˈ-bearer noun

1. A person who has charge of another person's money
2. A treasurer
3. A person who carries in a bag the Great Seal for the Lord Chancellor, or the royal commission for the Lord High Commissioner

purseˈ-net noun

A bag-shaped net that closes by a drawstring at the neck

purseˈ-pride noun

purseˈ-proud adjective

1. Proud of one's wealth
2. Insolent from wealth

purseˈ-seine noun

A seine-net that can be drawn into the shape of a bag

purseˈ-seiner noun

A fishing-vessel equipped with such nets

purseˈ-sharing noun

The sharing-out of an individual fee or prize between all members of the recipient's firm or team

purseˈ-snatcher noun

purseˈ-snatching noun

purse strings plural noun

The strings fastening a purse (usu figurative)

purseˈ-taking noun

Robbing

privy purse

An allowance for a sovereign's private expenses

public purse see under public

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