cutpurse

[ kuht-purs ]

noun

1. Older Use. a pickpocket.
2. (formerly) a person who steals by cutting purses from the belt.

cutpurse

/ ˈkʌtˌpɜːs /

noun

1. an archaic word for pickpocket

Word History and Origins

Origin of cutpurse¹

First recorded in 1325–75, cutpurse is from the Middle English word cutte-purs. See cut, purse

Example Sentences

Sweet potatoes, fruit Jello, and roast pork — not turkey — would be served to all the inmates, from the lowliest cutpurse to what amounted to the celebrity wing, and its residents:

From Los Angeles Times

Now, Eugene wishes to gain a final rest from the cycle, to be released from the emotional burden he has carried since his days as a cutpurse in Moorish Spain.

From Los Angeles Times

"You'll have every cutpurse within a league down upon us!"

From Literature

It will tell the stories of 25 women who have been overlooked by history, from the 17th-century pickpocket Moll Cutpurse to the 19th-century pirate Ching Shih.

From The Guardian

I held a desperate hope that I could cutpurse that much in time.

From Literature

Related Words

• thief