Purree
(Pur"ree) n. [Hind. peori yellow.] (Chem.) A yellow coloring matter. See Euxanthin.
Purrock
(Pur"rock) n. See Puddock, and Parrock.
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.
Who steals my purse steals trash.
Shak. 2. Hence, a treasury; finances; as, the public purse.
3. A sum of money offered as a prize, or collected as a present; as, to win the purse; to make up a purse.
4. A specific sum of money; as: (a) In Turkey, the sum of 500 piasters. (b) In Persia, the sum of 50
tomans.
Light purse, or Empty purse, poverty or want of resources. — Long purse, or Heavy purse, wealth; riches.
— Purse crab (Zoöl.), 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. (Zoöl.) See Pocket gopher, under Pocket. — Sword
and purse, the military power and financial resources of a nation.
Purse
(Purse), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pursed ; p. pr. & vb. n. Pursing.]
1. To put into a purse.
I will go and purse the ducats straight.
Shak. 2. To draw up or contract into folds or wrinkles, like the mouth of a purse; to pucker; to knit.
Thou . . . didst contract and purse thy brow.
Shak. Purse
(Purse), v. i. To steal purses; to rob. [Obs. & R.]
I'll purse: . . . I'll bet at bowling alleys.
Beau. & Fl. Purseful
(Purse"ful) n.; pl. Pursefuls All that is, or can be, contained in a purse; enough to fill a purse.
Purse-proud
(Purse"-proud`) a. Affected with purse pride; puffed up with the possession of riches.
Purser
(Purs"er) n. [See Purse, and cf. Bursar.]
1. (Naut.) A commissioned officer in the navy who had charge of the provisions, clothing, and public
moneys on shipboard; — now called paymaster.
2. A clerk on steam passenger vessels whose duty it is to keep the accounts of the vessels, such as
the receipt of freight, tickets, etc.
3. Colloquially, any paymaster or cashier.
