purse

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purse /p'ɜːrs/ (purses pursing pursed)
1 [N-COUNT]
A purse is a very small bag that people, especially women, keep their money in. (BRIT; in AM, use change purse)
2 [N-COUNT]
A purse is a small bag that women carry. (AM; in BRIT, use bag, handbag)
She looked at me and then reached in her purse for cigarettes.
3 [N-SING] with supp
Purse is used to refer to the total amount of money that a country, family, or group has.
The money could simply go into the public purse, helping to lower taxes.
4 [VERB] V n
If you purse your lips, you move them into a small, rounded shape, usually because you disapprove of something or when you are thinking.
She pursed her lips in disapproval.change purse (change purses)
[N-COUNT]
A change purse is a very small bag that people, especially women, keep their money in. (AM; in BRIT, use purse)purse strings
[N-PLURAL] the N
If you say that someone holds or controls the purse strings, you mean that they control the way that money is spent in a particular family, group, or country.
Women control the purse-strings of most families...

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