Purse (Late Lat. bursa, adapted from Gr. i i p ra, hide, skin; possibly O. Eng. pusa, bag, has influenced the change from b to p), a small bag for holding money, originally a leather pouch tied at the mouth, but now of various shapes. The great seal of England is borne by the purse-bearer in a purse, usually styled "burse," decorated with the arms of the kingdom, the "burse" being thus one of the insignia of office of the lord chancellor of England. The "privy purse" is the amount of public money set apart in the civil list for the private and personal use of the sovereign (see Privy Purse).
Purse
