I.
noun
1 ( esp. BrE ) for carrying money
ADJECTIVE
▪ leather
▪ change ( AmE )
VERB + PURSE
▪ open
▪ snatch , steal
▪
She had her ~ snatched.
PREPOSITION
▪ in sb's ~
▪
What do you keep in your ~?
2 money available to an organization/government
ADJECTIVE
▪ public
VERB + PURSE
▪ drain
▪
The reforms had drained the public ~.
PURSE + NOUN
▪ strings
▪
Who holds the ~ strings in your house?
▪
The government will have to tighten the ~ strings ( = spend less ).
PREPOSITION
▪ in the ~ ( esp. BrE )
▪
There is no money in the ~ for this.
3 ( AmE ) bag for carrying things ⇨ See also ↑ handbag
ADJECTIVE
▪ bulging
▪
She handed him a bulging velvet ~.
▪ leather , silk , etc.
▪ matching
▪
She wore pink heels with a matching clutch ~.
▪ clutch
VERB + PURSE
▪ clutch , hold
▪
Both women clutched their ~s close to their bodies.
▪ carry
▪ grab , pick up , snatch
▪
She grabbed her ~ and headed out the door.
▪ open
▪ dig in , dig into , dig through , reach into , rummage through
▪
I dug in my ~ to find my respirator.
▪
I rummaged through my ~ for my lip gloss.
▪ snatch , steal
▪
She had her ~ snatched.
PURSE + NOUN
▪ snatcher
PREPOSITION
▪ in sb's ~
▪
What do you keep in your ~?
PHRASES
▪ sling a ~ over your shoulder , throw a ~ over your shoulder
▪
She slung her black leather ~ over her shoulder.
II.
verb
Purse is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑ lip , ↑ mouth
Purse is used with these nouns as the object: ↑ lip , ↑ mouth