Handbags, Purses

In American English, a purse is a small bag, also called a handbag. more...

In British English, a purse is a small money container similar to a wallet, but typically used by women and including a compartment for coins, with a handbag being considerably larger.

A purse or handbag is often fashionably-designed, and is used to hold a number of items such as a wallet, keys, tissues, makeup, a hairbrush, pepper spray and/or a gun.

History

Purses were carried by men in Biblical times over 2000 years ago. St. Mark's gospel 6:8 says:
And Jesus of Nazareth commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in purse.

Variations

Purses are usually carried by women, though men sometimes carry one as a smaller alternative to a backpack; such a purse is sometimes self-consciously termed a "murse" (a portmanteau for a "man purse").

Coin purses are small purses, just large enough to hold money and cards.

A medium-to-small-sized purse with a short handle, designed to be carried (clutched) in one's hand is often called a clutch.

A pocketbook is similar to a purse (in the British English sense), but allows the carrying of sheets of paper as well.

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