purse

plural purses

1. A small bag for carrying money.

   And then muſt many a man occupie as farre as his purſe would reache, and ſtretche out his legges accordynge to the length of his couerlet.

   1550, Steuen Mierdman, The market or fayre of usurers

   Synonyms: pocketbook, coin purse, change purse

2. USA handbag (small bag usually used by women for carrying various small personal items)

   Master leathercrafter does handcrafted wallets, belts, purses, handbags etc., supporting self and helpers. Good enough to carve fantst art and portraits into leather.

   1987 August 15, Robert Benitez, “Personal advertisement”, in Gay Community News, volume 15, number 5, page 14

   Synonyms: handbag

3. A quantity of money given for a particular purpose.

   It was a historic and a hefty battle when Myler and Percy were scheduled to don the gloves for the purse of fifty sovereigns.

   1922 February 2, James Joyce, “[[Episode 12: The Cyclops]]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company […], →OCLC

   Synonyms: bursary, grant, funds

4. historicalA specific sum of money in certain countries: formerly 500 piastres in Turkey or 50 tomans in Persia.

present singular third person purses · participle present pursing · participle past pursed · past pursed

1. transitiveTo press (one's lips) in and together so that they protrude.

   When you're feeling in the dumps Don't be silly chumps Just purse your lips and whistle – that's the thing.

   1979, Monty Python, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

   3 more examples

   1901, Matilde Serao, The Land of Cockayne, translator not credited, London: Heinemann, Chapter IV, p. 72, https://archive.org/details/landofcockayne00seraiala The serving Sister pursed up her lips to remind him of the cloistral rule, almost as if she wanted to prevent any conversation between him and the nun.

   Anton Ivanovich pursed up his lower lip so that his grey moustache pressed against the tip of his red pitted nose, took in all the officials with his rounded eyes, and after an unavoidable pause emitted a fat unctuous laugh.

   1916, Leonid Andreyev, “An Original”, in W. H. Lowe, transl., The Little Angel and Other Stories, New York: Alfred Knopf, page 85

   […] Yidinj has just one prefix dja:- 'in the direction of' […]. There is a noun djawa 'mouth' in a number of neighbouring languages […] and it is likely that this developed into the prefix dja:-. The semantic motivation would be the fact that Aborigines typically indicate direction by pointing with pursed lips (in circumstances where Europeans would extend a hand or index finger).

   2002, R.M.W. Dixon, chapter 9, in Australian Languages: Their Nature and Development, Cambridge University Press, published 2004, page 403

   Synonyms: round

2. To draw up or contract into folds or wrinkles; to pucker; to knit.

   […] thou […] didst contract and purse thy brow together, / As if thou then hadst shut up in thy brain / Some horrible conceit: […]

   c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii], lines 1756-9

   1 more example

   Upon hearing Billy's version, the sage Dansker seemed to divine more than he was told; and after a little meditation during which his wrinkles were pursed as into a point, quite effacing for the time that quizzing expression his face sometimes wore, "Didn't I say so, Baby Budd?"

   1888–1891, Herman Melville, “[Billy Budd, Foretopman.] Chapter XIII.”, in Billy Budd and Other Stories, London: John Lehmann, published 1951, →OCLC

3. To put into a purse.

   And I will go and purse the ducats straight,

   c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii], line 502

4. intransitiveobsoleterareTo steal purses; to rob.

   Why I'll purse; if that raise me not, I'll bet at bowling alleys, or man whores: I would fain live by others.

   1647–1679, Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, “Scornful Lady”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act I, scene i

plural Purses

1. A surname from Middle English.