Unpurse

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To take money out of a purse or wallet, often in order to pay or hand it over to someone
2. Removing coins or notes from a small container for carrying money so they can be paid out
3. Drawing cash from one's purse, typically in the act of paying for something or giving it away

Etymology: "Unpurse" is formed from the prefix "un-" attached to "purse," and it means to take money out of a purse, or to release what a purse holds. The prefix "un-" is an ordinary English reversing element, used to undo or remove an action, as in "unlock" or "untie," and here it is combined with the noun "purse" to create a verb whose sense is essentially the opposite of "to purse," the older sense of putting money into or keeping it tightly shut away. The noun "purse" itself comes from Old English "purs," a small bag or pouch for carrying money, which in turn traces back to Late Latin "bursa," meaning a bag or pouch. Because the word for a bag of money was so familiar, English speakers could build verbs and phrases from it without much fuss, and "unpurse" simply follows that pattern of pairing a plain noun with a reversing prefix.

Synonyms: disburse, pay out

Antonyms: pocket