Reticule

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɹɛtɪkjuːl/

Definitions

1. A small handbag used especially by women to carry personal items
2. A compact purse typically held or carried to store small belongings
3. A tiny pouch or bag, often ornamental, for carrying essentials

Etymology: The reticule was once a practical piece of equipment rather than a fashion accessory. Its name comes from French "réticule," which in turn descends from Latin "rēticulum," a diminutive of "rēte," meaning "net." The sense of a small net or mesh pouch carried with the purse-strings drawn tight is the thread connecting the Latin word to the bag in your hand. The word is a doublet of "reticle" and "reticulum," which entered English directly from Latin and kept the same root in more technical forms. A reticle is the fine grid of lines in an optical instrument, and reticulum is an anatomical term for a net-like structure. The reticule itself took the French route, so the same Latin net shows up in English in three different guises, each borrowed at a different time and for a different purpose.

Synonyms: purse, bag, satchel, handbag, sack