purse

noun

\ ˈpərs

Definition of purse

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a(1) : a small bag for money

(2) : a receptacle (such as a pocketbook) for carrying money and often other small objects

b : a receptacle (such as a pouch) shaped like a purse

2a : resources, funds

b : a sum of money offered as a prize or present also : the total amount of money offered in prizes for a given event

purse

verb

pursed; pursing

Definition of purse (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to put into a purse

2 : pucker, knit pursed his brow

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Examples of purse in a Sentence

Noun

a golf tournament with a million dollar purse I left my purse at home, so I can't buy anything after all.

Verb

She pursed her lips in concentration. His lips were tightly pursed.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Like the tiny dogs in designer purses popular in the '00s, mini pigs are having a bit of a moment. — Marygrace Taylor, Good Housekeeping, "8 Things You Should Know Before Adopting a Mini Pig," 12 July 2018 In the key kidnapping scene, a prop gun that was supposed to be stowed in a purse was nowhere to be found. — Matthew J. Palm, OrlandoSentinel.com, "'9 to 5' has to work a little harder in 2018," 21 Apr. 2018 An officer found the remains of a marijuana cigarette in the vehicle and a bag of marijuana in the woman's purse during a search, according to the report. — Jennifer James, Houston Chronicle, "Friendswood police release photo of suspects linked to Kroger counterfeit case," 25 Mar. 2018 The firing comes after a student discovered marijuana in Schwister's purse Feb. 1. — Alec Johnson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "The Germantown middle school teacher who was caught with marijuana has been fired," 9 Mar. 2018 Our purses can already do just about everything, including carrying our must-have essentials and tying an entire outfit together. — Lauren Rearick, Teen Vogue, "Louis Vuitton’s Resort 2020 Collection Includes Purses with Television Screens," 10 May 2019 LeBron James picked up his purse and stormed off the interview with pum pum shorts like Angela Bassett in waiting to exhale. — Christopher Brito, CBS News, "NBA Finals 2018: LeBron James walks out of news conference after Game 1 loss, tells reporters: "Be better tomorrow"," 1 June 2018 The 4-year-old, who was born in January 2014, made headlines in 2016 when a portrait released of the Queen and her grandchildren showed Mia clutching at her grandmother’s purse — which looked enormous in her tiny arms. — Kate Samuelson, Time, "Your Complete Guide to the British Royal Family Tree and Line of Succession," 23 Apr. 2018 Vanessa also holds her purse with a power clutch that signifies confidence, since the grip is sturdier than daintily holding a bag from above, according to Cobb. — Elizabeth Narins, Cosmopolitan, "Signs of Don Jr. and Vanessa's Divorce Date Back to 2004," 16 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'purse.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.