n. One who cuts purses for the sake of stealing them or their contents (an act common when men wore purses fastened by a string to their girdles); one who steals from the person; a pickpocket [ 1913 Webster ]

To have an open ear, a quick eye, and a nimble hand, is necessary for a cutpurse. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To disburse. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who steals purses, or money from purses. Latimer. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. purs, pors, OF. burse, borse, bourse, F. bourse, LL. bursa, fr. Gr. &unr_; 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Who steals my purse steals trash. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence, a treasury; finances; as, the public purse. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A sum of money offered as a prize, or collected as a present; as, to win the purse; to make up a purse. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A specific sum of money; as: (a) In Turkey, the sum of 500 piasters. (b) In Persia, the sum of 50 tomans. [ 1913 Webster ]

Light purse, or
Empty purse, poverty or want of resources. --
Long purse, or
Heavy purse, wealth; riches. --
Purse crab (Zool.), 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. (Zool.) See Pocket gopher, under Pocket. --
Sword and purse, the military power and financial resources of a nation. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Pursed p. pr. & vb. n. Pursing. ] 1. To put into a purse. [ 1913 Webster ]

I will go and purse the ducats straight. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To draw up or contract into folds or wrinkles, like the mouth of a purse; to pucker; to knit. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thou . . . didst contract and purse thy brow. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To steal purses; to rob. [ Obs. & R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

I'll purse: . . . I'll bet at bowling alleys. Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Pursefuls All that is, or can be, contained in a purse; enough to fill a purse. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Affected with purse pride; puffed up with the possession of riches. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Purse, and cf. Bursar. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. (Naut.) A commissioned officer in the navy who had charge of the provisions, clothing, and public moneys on shipboard; -- now called paymaster. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Colloquially, any paymaster or cashier. [ 1913 Webster ]

Purser's name (Naut.), a false name. [ Slang ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The office of purser. Totten. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A purse or purse net. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. State of being pursy. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pursy. [ Obs. ] Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Pursiness. [ Obs. & R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as Purslane. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. porcelaine, pourcelaine (cf. It. porcellana), corrupted fr. L. porcilaca for portulaca. ] (Bot.) An annual plant (Portulaca oleracea), with fleshy, succulent, obovate leaves, sometimes used as a pot herb and for salads, garnishing, and pickling. [ 1913 Webster ]

Flowering purslane, or
Great flowered purslane, the Portulaca grandiflora. See Portulaca. --
Purslane tree, a South African shrub (Portulacaria Afra) with many small opposite fleshy obovate leaves. --
Sea purslane, a seashore plant (Arenaria peploides) with crowded opposite fleshy leaves. --
Water purslane, an aquatic plant (Ludwiqia palustris) but slightly resembling purslane. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of being, or fit to be, pursued, followed, or prosecuted. Sherwood. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of pursuit. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Pursuant. ] 1. The act of pursuing or prosecuting; a following out or after. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sermons are not like curious inquiries after new nothings, but pursuances of old truths. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The state of being pursuant; consequence. [ 1913 Webster ]

In pursuance of, in accordance with; in prosecution or fulfillment of. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ From Pursue: cf. OE. poursuiant. Cf. Pursuivant. ] Acting in consequence or in prosecution (of anything); hence, agreeable; conformable; following; according; -- with to or of. [ 1913 Webster ]

The conclusion which I draw from these premises, pursuant to the query laid down, is, etc. Waterland. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } adv. Agreeably; conformably. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Pursued p. pr. & vb. n. Pursuing. ] [ OE. pursuen, porsuen, OF. porsivre, poursuivre, poursuir, F. poursuivre, fr. L. prosequi; pro forward + sequi to follow. See Sue, and cf. Prosecute, Pursuivant. ] 1. To follow with a view to overtake; to follow eagerly, or with haste; to chase; as, to pursue a hare. [ 1913 Webster ]

We happiness pursue; we fly from pain. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

The happiness of men lies in purswing,
Not in possessing. Longfellow. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To seek; to use or adopt measures to obtain; as, to pursue a remedy at law. [ 1913 Webster ]

The fame of ancient matrons you pursue. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To proceed along, with a view to some and or object; to follow; to go in; as, Captain Cook pursued a new route; the administration pursued a wise course. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To prosecute; to be engaged in; to continue. “ Insatiate to pursue vain war.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To follow as an example; to imitate. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. To follow with enmity; to persecute; to call to account. [ 1913 Webster ]

The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have pursued me, they shall pursue you also. Wyclif (John xv. 20). [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To follow; chase; seek; persist. See Follow. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To go in pursuit; to follow. [ 1913 Webster ]

The wicked flee when no man pursueth. Prov. xxviii. 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

Men hotly pursued after the objects of their ambition. Earle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To go on; to proceed, especially in argument or discourse; to continue. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ A Gallicism ] [ 1913 Webster ]

I have, pursues Carneades, wondered chemists should not consider. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Law) To follow a matter judicially, as a complaining party; to act as a prosecutor. Burrill. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who pursues or chases; one who follows in haste, with a view to overtake. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Eccl. & Scots Law) A plaintiff; a prosecutor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. poursuite, fr. poursuivre. See Pursue, v. t. ] 1. The act of following or going after; esp., a following with haste, either for sport or in hostility; chase; prosecution; as, the pursuit of game; the pursuit of an enemy. Clarendon. [ 1913 Webster ]

Weak we are, and can not shun pursuit. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A following with a view to reach, accomplish, or obtain; endeavor to attain to or gain; as, the pursuit of knowledge; the pursuit of happiness or pleasure. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Course of business or occupation; continued employment with a view to same end; as, mercantile pursuits; a literary pursuit. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Law) Prosecution. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

That pursuit for tithes ought, and of ancient time did pertain to the spiritual court. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

Curve of pursuit (Geom.), a curve described by a point which is at each instant moving towards a second point, which is itself moving according to some specified law. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. poursuivant, fr. poursuivre. See Pursue, and cf. Pursuant. ] [ Written also poursuivant. ] 1. (Heralds' College) A functionary of lower rank than a herald, but discharging similar duties; -- called also pursuivant at arms; an attendant of the heralds. Also used figuratively. [ 1913 Webster ]

The herald Hope, forerunning Fear,
And Fear, the pursuivant of Hope. Longfellow. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The king's messenger; a state messenger. [ 1913 Webster ]

One pursuivant who attempted to execute a warrant there was murdered. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To pursue. [ Obs. & R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Their navy was pursuivanted after with a horrible tempest. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ OF. pourcif, poulsif, poussif, fr. pousser to push, thrust, heave, OF. also poulser: cf. F. pousse the heaves, asthma. See Push. ] Fat and short-breathed; fat, short, and thick; swelled with pampering; as, pursy insolence. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Pursy important he sat him down. Sir W. Scot. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Zool.) The horny egg case of a skate, and of certain sharks. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Bot.) See under Purslane. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ 1st pref. un- + purse + -ed. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Robbed of a purse, or of money. [ R. ] Pollock. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Taken from the purse; expended. [ Obs. ] Gower. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Bot.) See under Purslane. [ 1913 Webster ]