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Purse vs Briefcase - What's the difference?

purse | briefcase |

As nouns the difference between purse and briefcase

is that purse is a small bag for carrying money while briefcase is a case used for carrying documents (especially by business people.

As a verb purse

is to press (one's lips) in and together so that they protrude.

purse

English

(wikipedia purse)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A small bag for carrying money.
  • * 1550 Mierdman, Steuen, The market or fayre of usurers
  • And then mu?t many a man occupie as farre as his pur?e would reache, and ?tretche out his legges accordynge to the length of his couerlet.
  • (US) A handbag (small bag usually used by women for carrying various small personal items)
  • A quantity of money given for a particular purpose.
  • * , Episode 12, The Cyclops
  • It was a historic and a hefty battle when Myler and Percy were scheduled to don the gloves for the purse of fifty sovereigns.
  • (historical) A specific sum of money in certain countries: formerly 500 piastres in Turkey or 50 tomans in Persia.
  • Synonyms

    * (small bag for carrying money) pocketbook; coin purse, change purse * (especially US) * (small bag used by women) handbag (especially UK) * (quantity of money) bursary, grant

    Derived terms

    * common purse * make a silk purse of a sow's ear * murse

    See also

    * wallet

    Verb

    (purs)
  • To press (one's lips) in and together so that they protrude.
  • * 1979 , (Monty Python), (Always Look on the Bright Side of Life)
  • When you're feeling in the dumps
    Don't be silly chumps
    Just purse your lips and whistle – that's the thing.
  • To draw up or contract into folds or wrinkles; to pucker; to knit.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Thou didst contract and purse thy brow.
  • To put into a purse.
  • * Shakespeare
  • I will go and purse the ducats straight.
  • (intransitive, obsolete, rare) To steal purses; to rob.
  • * Beaumont and Fletcher
  • I'll purse : I'll bet at bowling alleys.

    Synonyms

    * pucker

    Anagrams

    * ----

    briefcase

    Noun

  • a case used for carrying documents (especially by business people)
  • Synonyms

    *