The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Purse \Purse\, n. [OE. purs, pors, OF. burse, borse, bourse, F.
   bourse, LL. bursa, fr. Gr. ? hide, skin, leather. Cf.
   Bourse, Bursch, Bursar, Buskin.]
   1. 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.
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            Who steals my purse steals trash.     --Shak.
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   2. Hence, a treasury; finances; as, the public purse.
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   3. 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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   4. A specific sum of money; as:
      (a) In Turkey, the sum of 500 piasters.
      (b) In Persia, the sum of 50 tomans.
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   Light purse, or Empty purse, poverty or want of
      resources.

   Long purse, or Heavy purse, wealth; riches.

   Purse crab (Zool.), 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. (Zool.) See Pocket gopher, under Pocket.

   Sword and purse, the military power and financial resources
      of a nation.
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