purse

purse — noun

1. A small folding container made of leather, fabric, or plastic, used mainly by wo

1.名詞B1
釋義

A small folding container made of leather, fabric, or plastic, used mainly by women to carry coins, paper money, and sometimes cards.

例句

Anjali pulled a few coins from her purse to pay for the bus ticket.

possessive determiner + purse for coin context

Soraya's leather purse had a small metal clasp to keep it closed.

同義詞
  • wallet

    usually flat and designed for notes and cards, more common for men

  • coin purse

    a very small pouch only for loose change

  • change purse

    American term for a small coin container

用法筆記

Commonly uses possessive determiners (her purse, my purse) in context. In American English this sense is less frequent; 'purse' more often refers to a handbag there.

常見錯誤

❌I put my phone in my purse to carry it.' (if meaning a small coin purse).
✅I put my phone in my bag to carry it.
💡A small money purse is too tiny for a phone.

2. A bag with a handle or strap, used by women to carry personal items such as a ph

2.名詞B1
釋義

A bag with a handle or strap, used by women to carry personal items such as a phone, keys, wallet, and makeup.

例句

Élise swung her purse over her shoulder and walked out the door.

swing over shoulder — carrying action

Lara's purse contained her phone, her keys, and a small notebook.

同義詞
  • handbag

    the standard British term for a woman's bag

  • shoulder bag

    a bag with a long strap worn over the shoulder

  • clutch

    a small flat handbag without a strap, held in the hand

用法筆記

This is the dominant meaning in American English, where 'handbag' is less common. In British English, 'handbag' is the usual term and 'purse' stays limited to the small money container sense.

常見錯誤

❌He put his wallet in his purse.' (for a male).
✅He put his wallet in his pocket.
💡In most varieties of English, 'purse' suggests a woman's bag.

3. Money that a group, institution, or state keeps aside and is able to spend on it

3.名詞B2
釋義

Money that a group, institution, or state keeps aside and is able to spend on its work.

例句

The school's purse is too small to pay for new computers this year.

organisation's purse — metaphorical ownership

The charity depends almost entirely on donations to fill its purse.

同義詞
  • funds

    more general, can be plural; no metaphorical container sense

  • budget

    implies a planned allocation of money, not just available money

  • coffers

    formal, typically used for government or institutional money

用法筆記

Almost always singular. Frequently modified by 'public' (public purse = government funds). The expression 'tighten the purse strings' (entry-level collocation) is a related metaphor for reducing spending.

常見錯誤

❌The government purses are empty.' (plural).
✅The public purse is empty.
💡This sense is uncountable/singular; use 'public purse' or 'the purse of the organisation'.

4. A fixed sum of money awarded to the winner or divided among top competitors in a

4.名詞C1
釋義

A fixed sum of money awarded to the winner or divided among top competitors in a sports event or contest.

例句

The winner of the boxing match received a purse of fifty thousand dollars.

purse of [amount] — sports prize pattern

The golf tournament offered a total purse of two million dollars this year.

total purse + amount

同義詞
  • prize money

    more general, used across all types of competitions

  • bonus

    extra money beyond a base prize, or a reward for performance

用法筆記

Common in boxing, golf, and horse racing. Usually the total prize pool available, not necessarily what a single winner takes home. 'Increase/raise the purse' is the typical verb collocation.

常見錯誤

❌She won a purse of $500 at the lottery.
✅She won a prize of $500 at the lottery.
💡'Purse' as prize money is specific to sports competitions, not lotteries or game shows.

purse — verb