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Definition of purse noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

purse

noun
 
/pɜːs/
 
/pɜːrs/
 Idioms
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  1. [countable] (especially British English) a small bag made of leather, plastic, etc. for carrying coins and often also paper money, cards, etc., used especially by women
    • I took a coin out of my purse and gave it to the child.
    compare change purse, walletTopics Clothes and Fashiona2, Moneya2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • leather
    • change
    verb + purse
    • open
    • snatch
    • steal
    • …
    preposition
    • in somebody’s purse
    See full entry
  2. (North American English)
    (also handbag British and North American English)
    [countable] a small bag for money, keys, etc., carried especially by women
    • She grabbed her purse and headed out the door.
    Extra Examples
    • I rummaged through my purse for my lip gloss.
    • She had her purse snatched.
    • She slung her black leather purse over her shoulder.
    • She wore pink heels with a matching clutch purse.
    • She fumbled in her purse for her glasses.
    Topics Clothes and Fashiona2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • bulging
    • leather
    • silk
    • …
    verb + purse
    • clutch
    • hold
    • carry
    • …
    purse + noun
    • snatcher
    preposition
    • in somebody’s purse
    phrases
    • sling a purse over your shoulder
    • throw a purse over your shoulder
    See full entry
  3. [singular] the amount of money that is available to a person, an organization or a government to spend
    • We have holidays to suit every purse.
    • Should spending on the arts be met out of the public purse (= from government money)?
    see also privy purse
    Extra Examples
    • The reforms had drained the public purse.
    • There is no money in the purse for this.
    Topics Moneyc1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • public
    verb + purse
    • drain
    purse + noun
    • strings
    preposition
    • in the purse
    See full entry
  4. [countable] (sport) a sum of money given as a prize in a boxing matchTopics Sports: other sportsc2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • public
    verb + purse
    • drain
    purse + noun
    • strings
    preposition
    • in the purse
    See full entry
    5. Word Originlate Old English, alteration of late Latin bursa ‘purse’, from Greek bursa ‘hide, leather’. The current verb sense (from the notion of drawing purse strings) dates from the early 17th cent.
Idioms
(you can't) make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear
  1. (you won't) succeed in making something good out of material that does not seem very good at allTopics Successc2
See purse in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
Check pronunciation: purse

Nearby words

dizzy
adjective
 
 
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