noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   A cord or string, the middle of which is enclosed in the hem of the opening of a soft purse or sack, that, when pulled, closes the purse.
2. 2
   Budgetary control; authority over capital outlay or investment decisions. figuratively, in-plural

   "those who hold the pursestrings"

Example

More examples

"those who hold the pursestrings"

Etymology

From purse + string.

Related phrases

purse string § Derived terms

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.