The Collaborative International Dictionary
Purse \Purse\, n. [OE. purs, pors, OF. burse, borse, bourse, F. bourse, LL. bursa, fr. Gr. ? hide, skin, leather. Cf. Bourse, Bursch, Bursar, Buskin.]
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A small bag or pouch, the opening of which is made to draw together closely, used to carry money in; by extension, any receptacle for money carried on the person; a wallet; a pocketbook; a portemonnaie.
--Chaucer.Who steals my purse steals trash.
--Shak. Hence, a treasury; finances; as, the public purse.
A sum of money offered as a prize, or collected as a present; as, to win the purse; to make up a purse.
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A specific sum of money; as:
In Turkey, the sum of 500 piasters.
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In Persia, the sum of 50 tomans.
Light purse, or Empty purse, poverty or want of resources.
Long purse, or Heavy purse, wealth; riches.
Purse crab (Zo["o]l.), any land crab of the genus Birgus, allied to the hermit crabs. They sometimes weigh twenty pounds or more, and are very strong, being able to crack cocoanuts with the large claw. They chiefly inhabit the tropical islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, living in holes and feeding upon fruit. Called also palm crab.
Purse net, a fishing net, the mouth of which may be closed or drawn together like a purse.
--Mortimer.Purse pride, pride of money; insolence proceeding from the possession of wealth.
--Bp. Hall.Purse rat. (Zo["o]l.) See Pocket gopher, under Pocket.
Sword and purse, the military power and financial resources of a nation.
Usage examples of "long purse".
Caderousse, more and more astonished, went toward a large oaken cupboard, opened it, and gave the abbe a long purse of faded red silk, round which were two copper runners that had once been gilt.
Howl turned the square knob back so that the green blob was downward again and stowed the long purse in his pocket.
The long purse seines brought up only free swimmers and last survivors.