bag and purse share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. bag means “a flexible container with a single opening”. purse means “a container used for carrying money and small personal items or accessories (especially by women)”. bag is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈbæɡ/
1.n.a flexible container with a single opening
“he stuffed his laundry into a large bag”
2.n.the quantity of game taken in a particular period (usually by one person)
“his bag included two deer”
3.n.a place that the runner must touch before scoring
“he scrambled to get back to the bag”
/ˈpɝs/
1.n.a container used for carrying money and small personal items or accessories (especially by women)
“she reached into her bag and found a comb”
2.n.a sum of money spoken of as the contents of a money purse
“he made the contribution out of his own purse”
3.n.a small bag for carrying money
| bag | purse | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈbæɡ/ | /ˈpɝs/ |
| Said | bag | purs |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 3 | 5 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | noun, verb |
| Senses | 14 | 6 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | none recorded | bag, handbag, pocketbook |
Full entry for bag · Full entry for purse · More comparisons