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purse
purse / pərs/ • n. a small bag used esp. by a woman to carry everyday personal items. ∎ a small pouch of leather or plastic used for carrying money, typically by a woman. ∎ the money possessed or available to a person or country: institutions are funded from the same general purse. ∎ a sum of money given as a prize in a sporting contest, esp. a boxing match. • v. (with reference to the lips) pucker or contract, typically to express disapproval or irritation: [tr.] Marianne took a glance at her reflection and pursed her lips disgustedly | [intr.] under stress his lips would purse slightly. PHRASES: hold the purse strings have control of expenditure. tighten (or loosen) the purse strings restrict (or increase) the amount of money available to be spent. ORIGIN: late 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. |
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Cite this article
"purse." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "purse." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-purse.html "purse." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-purse.html |
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purse
purse a purse is the emblem of St Antoninus of Florence (389–1459), who as a Christian moralist taught that money invested in commerce was true capital, and that therefore interest could be claimed on it without the sin of usury, St Lawrence, and St John the Almsgiver (fl. c.620), patriarch of Alexandria.
hold the purse strings have control of expenditure. See also you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. |
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "purse." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "purse." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-purse.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "purse." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-purse.html |
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purse
purse The purses of the OT (e.g. Isa. 46: 6) were small bags, often poorly made (Hag. 1: 6). Because they often allowed coins to drop out, they were an apt symbol for an inflationary economy. They were carried in the girdle or belt (Matt. 10: 9). Judas had charge of ‘the common purse’ (John 12: 6, NRSV, REB; ‘common fund’, NJB).
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W. R. F. BROWNING. "purse." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. W. R. F. BROWNING. "purse." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-purse.html W. R. F. BROWNING. "purse." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-purse.html |
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purse
purse money-bag of leather, etc. OE. purs — late L. bursa (whence also (O)F. bourse), var. of byrsa — Gr. búrsa leather, bag (cf. BURSAR).
Hence purse vb. pocket XIV; wrinkle XVII. purser † maker of purses; purse-bearer, treasurer, esp. ship's officer who keeps the accounts and provisions. XV. |
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T. F. HOAD. "purse." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "purse." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-purse.html T. F. HOAD. "purse." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-purse.html |
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purse
purse •amerce, asperse, averse, burse, coerce, converse, curse, diverse, Erse, hearse, immerse, intersperse, nurse, perse, perverse, purse, reimburse, submerse, terce, terse, transverse, verse, worse
•commerce • wet nurse • sesterce
•adverse • universe • obverse
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Cite this article
"purse." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "purse." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-purse.html "purse." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-purse.html |
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