purse
noun [ C ]
FINANCE uk/pɜːs/ us [ usually singular ]
the total amount of money that a person, organization, or government has available to spend:
Having a lot of people out of work places a large drain on the public purse.
The motor company sought to sell 'a car for every purse'.
an amount of money that is offered as a prize in a sports competition:
The sponsorship deal includes a €10,000 purse for the winner of the tournament.
See also
electronic purse
hold/control the purse strings
to be in charge of a family's or organization's money and responsible for deciding what it will be spent on:
She is the typical Japanese housewife who controls the family's purse strings.
loosen the purse strings
to spend more money or to allow people to have or spend more money:
He might even persuade the board to loosen the purse strings.
tighten the purse strings
to spend less money or to allow people to have or spend less money:
When a company needs to tighten the purse strings, outside labor is the first to get cut.