purse
gb/pˈɚs/ us/pˈɚs/
B1
English
~ 9500
kézitáska, anyagi források, díjalap, összeszorítani az ajkát
NOUN
B1
1
kézitáska
A2
Usage pattern:
[someone] carries a [purse]
She dug through her purse to find her keys.
A kézitáskájában kotorászott, hogy megtalálja a kulcsait.
I left my purse in the restaurant and had to go back for it.
Az étteremben hagytam a kézitáskámat, és vissza kellett mennem érte.
He bought her a new leather purse for her birthday.
The thief grabbed her purse and ran down the street.
She keeps her phone, wallet, and makeup in a small black purse.
Learner examples
She carries her phone and money in a red purse.
Egy piros kézitáskában hordja a telefonját és a pénzét.
I cannot pay because I forgot my purse at home.
Nem tudok fizetni, mert otthon felejtettem a kézitáskámat.
He put the tickets safely in his wife’s purse.
Her purse is very heavy because there are many things inside.
My mother bought a new purse at the mall.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'purse' with 'wallet' and 'handbag'. In American English, 'purse' is usually a larger bag carried by a woman, and 'wallet' is the small flat case for money and cards. In British English, 'purse' is often a small container for money, and 'handbag' is the larger bag.
Meaning
small bag for money and items
Collocations
designer purse
|leather purse
|lose my purse
|reach into her purse
|small black purse
|shoulder purse
Synonyms
handbag (Common in British English for a woman's bag; in American English, 'purse' is more common.)
|
bag (More general; not specifically for money and small personal items.)
Themes
daily life
|shopping
|fashion
|daily_life
|clothing
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A small bag you carry, usually in your hand or on your shoulder, to keep money, cards, and other small things.
A small bag, especially carried by a woman, used to hold money, cards, and other small personal items.
NOUN
C1
2
Usage pattern:
[someone] pays from the [purse]
Taxpayers are angry that the project will be financed from the public purse.
Az adófizetők dühösek, hogy a projektet közpénzből fogják finanszírozni.
The charity relies heavily on the government purse to fund its services.
A jótékonysági szervezet szolgáltatásainak finanszírozásában nagyban az állami forrásokra támaszkodik.
With the company purse almost empty, all non‑essential travel was cancelled.
Opponents argue that the museum should not be supported by the national purse.
As minister of finance, she controls the state purse.
Learner examples
The new bridge will be paid for from the public purse.
Az új hidat közpénzből fogják kifizetni.
The school gets money from the city purse.
Az iskola a városi költségvetésből kap pénzt.
He says art projects should not use the public purse.
When the purse is low, the government cuts some programs.
They want more control over the company purse.
Common mistake:
Learners may think this meaning always refers to a physical bag. In phrases like 'the public purse' or 'the state purse', it is an abstract way to talk about money and budgets, not an actual bag.
Meaning
financial resources or funds
Collocations
the public purse
|state purse
|company purse
|from the public purse
|dip into the public purse
|control the purse
Synonyms
funds (Very close in meaning; more common in financial and official contexts.)
|
treasury (Usually refers to a government’s or organization’s money, especially in formal contexts.)
Antonyms
debt (Refers to money that is owed rather than money that is available to spend.)
Themes
business
|government
|money
|finance
|core_vocabulary
Definition
The amount of money that a person, group, or government can use.
The money that a person, group, or government has available to spend.
B2
3
díjalap
B2
Usage pattern:
[a competition] offers a [amount] purse
The tournament offers a total purse of $3 million.
A torna teljes díjalapja 3 millió dollár.
She took home the winner’s share of the $500,000 purse.
Hazavitte az 500 000 dolláros díjalapból a győztesnek járó részt.
The race has one of the largest purses in professional cycling.
In this championship, the purse is split among the top ten fighters.
The organizers increased the purse to attract more top players.
Learner examples
The golf match has a purse of one million dollars.
A golfverseny díjalapja egymillió dollár.
He won the race and got most of the purse.
Megnyerte a versenyt, és a díjalap nagy részét ő kapta.
This year, the purse is bigger than last year.
They raised the purse to bring in famous athletes.
The purse will be shared by the top three teams.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with the everyday bag meaning. In sports news, 'purse' usually means prize money, not something you carry.
Meaning
prize money in competition
Collocations
total purse
|million‑dollar purse
|cash purse
|prize purse
|share of the purse
|purse money
Synonyms
prize money (Very close in meaning and often used instead of 'purse', especially outside of sports jargon.)
Themes
sports
|money
|finance
Definition
The money that players or winners receive in a sports game or other competition.
The total amount of prize money offered in a sports event or other competition.
VERB
C1
4
Usage pattern:
[someone] purses [their] lips
She pursed her lips, clearly unhappy with the decision.
Összeszorította az ajkát; láthatóan elégedetlen volt a döntéssel.
He paused, pursing his lips as he considered the question.
Megállt egy pillanatra, és az ajkát összeszorítva fontolgatta a kérdést.
The teacher pursed her lips in disapproval when the student arrived late.
He pursed his lips tightly to stop himself from laughing.
At the bad news, her mouth pursed and her eyes filled with tears.
Learner examples
She heard the rude comment and pursed her lips.
Meghallotta a durva megjegyzést, és összeszorította az ajkát.
He often purses his lips when he is angry.
Gyakran összeszorítja az ajkát, amikor mérges.
The child pursed his lips and said nothing.
My mother pursed her lips when she saw the dirty room.
The doctor pursed his lips before giving the bad news.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'purse' with 'purse up' or 'press' and may think it means 'to kiss'. It only means to make the lips small and tight, often to show a feeling like anger, worry, or doubt.
Meaning
press lips together tightly
Collocations
purse her lips
|purse his lips
|pursed lips
|purse his mouth
|purse her mouth
Synonyms
pucker (Very similar physical action; can be used for lips in many of the same situations, but 'pucker' is also common for kissing or tasting something sour.)
|
compress (More formal and technical; describes the physical action without the emotional suggestion.)
Antonyms
relax (Describes letting the lips return to a natural, loose position.)
Themes
emotions
|body
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To make your lips small and tight by pressing them together, often because you do not like something or are thinking.
To press and tighten the lips together, often showing disapproval, thought, or worry.
Grammar
Dictionary form
purse
IPA
GB/pˈɚs/
US/pˈɚs/
Syllables & stress
purse (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (purse)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: purse
- Plural: purses
Verb
- Base: purse
- 3rd Person Singular: purses
- Present Participle: pursing
- Past: pursed
Word family
Expressions
dip into the public purse
1/dˈɪp ˈɪntu ðə pˈʌblɪk pˈɚs/
idiom
use public money
To use government money, especially when some people think this use is not necessary or not right.
Examples
- Critics say the project unfairly dips into the public purse.
- The festival should find private sponsors instead of dipping into the public purse.
- They are reluctant to dip into the public purse during an economic crisis.
hold the purse strings
1/hˈoʊld ðə pˈɚs stɹˈɪŋz/
idiom
control spending decisions
To have the power to decide how money is used or who can spend it.
Examples
- In most households, one partner holds the purse strings.
- The board holds the purse strings and must approve all major purchases.
- Since the government holds the purse strings, it can influence local projects.
purse one's lips
1/pˈɚs wˈʌnz lˈɪps/
fixed phrase
press lips together tightly
To make your lips small and tight by pressing them together, usually because you do not like something or are thinking hard.
Examples
- She pursed her lips when she heard the price.
- He pursed his lips, unsure whether to answer.
- The manager pursed her lips at the joke, clearly not amused.
the public purse
1/ðə pˈʌblɪk pˈɚs/
fixed phrase
money of the government
Money that comes from taxes and belongs to the government, used to pay for public services.
Examples
- The new stadium will not be paid for from the public purse.
- They argue that support for the arts should come from the public purse.
- Corruption is a serious problem when officials misuse the public purse.
tighten the purse strings
1/tˈaɪtən ðə pˈɚs stɹˈɪŋz/
idiom
start spending less money
To start spending less money and be more careful with how money is used.
Examples
- With prices rising, many families are tightening the purse strings.
- The company had to tighten the purse strings after a poor sales year.
- After the holiday, we’ll need to tighten the purse strings for a while.