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purse

  (pûrs) pronunciation
n.
  1. A woman's bag for carrying keys, a wallet, and other personal items; a handbag.
  2. A small bag or pouch for carrying money.
  3. Something that resembles a bag or pouch.
  4. Available wealth or resources; money.
  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.]

purselike purse'like' adj.
 
 
Idioms: purse

Idioms beginning with purse:
purse strings

In addition to the idiom beginning with purse, also see can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.


 
Antonyms: purse

n

Definition: award; winnings
Antonyms: loss

v

Definition: press together
Antonyms: open


 
Word Tutor: purse
pronunciation

IN BRIEF: A kind of bag used for carrying money, keys and other items. Also: To pucker.

pronunciation Empty the coins in your purse into your mind and your mind will fill your purse with coins. — Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

 
Wikipedia: purse
Purses, such as this one by Burberry, are fashion accessories with a function.
Enlarge
Purses, such as this one by Burberry, are fashion accessories with a function.

In American English, a purse is a small bag, also called a handbag.

In British English, a purse is a small money container similar to a wallet, but typically used by women and including a compartment for coins, with a handbag being considerably larger.

A purse or handbag is often fashionably-designed, and is used to hold a number of items such as a wallet, keys, tissues, makeup, a hairbrush, cellular device or personal digital assistant, feminine products, or other items.

Variations

An antique Indian female purse
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An antique Indian female purse

The word purse is originally derived from the Latin bursa, from the Greek βυρσα, meaning oxhide.[1]

Purses are usually carried by women, though men sometimes carry one as a smaller alternative to a backpack; such a purse is sometimes self-consciously termed a murse or manbag (portmanteaus "man" with "purse" and "handbag" respectively). It can also be called a man-purse. Such bags are often similar or identical to messenger bags.

Coin purses are small purses, just large enough to hold money and cards.

A medium-to-small-sized purse with a short handle, designed to be carried (clutched) in one's hand is often called a clutch.

A larger purse with two handles is often called a tote.

A pocketbook is similar to a purse (in the British English sense), but allows the carrying of sheets of paper as well.

A security bag protects the carrier from travel theft. The purse includes an invisible stainless steel strap sewn into the fabric and a protectant on the main zipper.

Types of handbags

Crocodile skin handbags in a conservation exhibit at Bristol Zoo, England
Enlarge
Crocodile skin handbags in a conservation exhibit at Bristol Zoo, England
  • Clutch: Small, usually evening bag without a handle.
  • Satchel: large bag with small handle that is carried on the arm rather than on the shoulder
  • Duffle: A large bag usually used for travel or sports
  • Tote: A medium to large bag with two straps
  • Messenger bag : A bag with a long strap to be worn across the body.

Trivia

See also

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References

  1. ^ Definition of purse. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved on 2007-04-11.
  2. ^ "Sienna Miller syndrome: Why a woman owns 111 handbags in her lifetime", The Daily Mail, 2007-08-31. Retrieved on 2007-09-01. 

 
Translations: Translations for: Purse

Dansk (Danish)
n. - pung, pose, håndtaske
v. tr. - trække sammen, snerpe sammen

idioms:

  • change purse    pung til småpenge
  • hold the purse strings    stå for pengekassen
  • purse one's lips    spidse munden

Nederlands (Dutch)
portemonnee, beurs, handtas, fonds, in een beurs steken

Français (French)
n. - porte-monnaie, (US) sac à main, (fig) moyens, somme d'argent, prix
v. tr. - faire une moue

idioms:

  • change purse    porte-monnaie
  • hold the purse strings    tenir les cordons de la bourse
  • purse one's lips    faire une moue désapprobatrice

Deutsch (German)
n. - Portemonnaie, Geldbeutel, Handtasche
v. - kräuseln

idioms:

  • change purse    Geldbeutel
  • hold the purse strings    über das Geld bestimmen
  • purse one's lips    die Lippen schürzen

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - πορτοφολάκι, βαλάντιο, πουγκί, (ΗΠΑ) γυναικεία τσάντα, τσαντάκι, ταμείο, χρηματικό βραβείο
v. - πτυχώνω/-ομαι, σουφρώνω (τα χείλη ή τα φρύδια)

idioms:

  • change purse    πορτοφόλι για ψιλά
  • hold the purse strings    κρατώ τον μπεζαχτά
  • purse one's lips    σουφρώνω τα χείλη μου

Italiano (Italian)
borsellino, borsetta, imbronciare

idioms:

  • change purse    portamonete
  • hold the purse strings    controllare le spese
  • purse one's lips    increspare le labbra, fare boccuccia

Português (Portuguese)
n. - bolsa (f), carteira (f)
v. - colocar na bolsa

idioms:

  • change purse    bolsa de câmbio
  • hold the purse strings    apertar o cinto, conter os gastos
  • purse one's lips    fazer beicinho

Русский (Russian)
бумажник, дамская сумочка, денежный приз

idioms:

  • change purse    сумочка для мелких денег
  • hold the purse strings    распоряжаться деньгами
  • purse one's lips    поджать губы

Español (Spanish)
n. - portamonedas, monedero, cartera, bolso
v. tr. - fruncir, embolsar

idioms:

  • change purse    monedero, portamonedas
  • hold the purse strings    administrar el dinero
  • purse one's lips    fruncir la boca

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - portmonnä, kassa, penninggåva, prissumma, handväska (Am.), pung
v. - rynka, dra ihop, snörpa

中文(简体) (Chinese (Simplified))
钱包, 金钱, 小钱袋, 缩拢, 噘起, 皱起

idioms:

  • change purse    零钱包
  • hold the purse strings    控制费用, 握有经济大权
  • purse one's lips    抿嘴, 噘起嘴唇

中文(繁體) (Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 錢包, 金錢, 小錢袋
v. tr. - 縮攏, 噘起, 皺起

idioms:

  • change purse    零錢包
  • hold the purse strings    控制費用, 握有經濟大權
  • purse one's lips    抿嘴, 噘起嘴唇

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 돈주머니, 돈지갑
v. tr. - (입 따위를) 오므리다

idioms:

  • change purse    잔돈주머니

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 財布, ハンドバッグ, 寄付金, 金銭, 嚢, 賞金, 財源
v. - すぼめる, しわが寄る

idioms:

  • purse one's lips    口をすぼめる

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) جزدان, كيس, حافظه نقود, مال, جائزة (فعل) زم ( شفتيه)‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮ארנק, קרן, כסף, פרס, סכום-כסף, קופה‬
v. tr. - ‮כיווץ (השפתיים)‬


 
Best of the Web: purse

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American Sign Language
commtechlab.msu.edu
 
 
 

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Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Idioms. The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Answers Corporation Antonyms. © 1999-2008 by Answers Corporation. All rights reserved.  Read more
Word Tutor. Copyright © 2004-present by eSpindle Learning, a 501(c) nonprofit organization. All rights reserved.
eSpindle provides personalized spelling and vocabulary tutoring online; free trial Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Purse" Read more
Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved.  Read more

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