reticule

[ ret-i-kyool ]

noun

1. a small purse or bag, originally of network but later of silk, rayon, etc.
2. Optics. reticle.

reticule

/ ˈrɛtɪˌkjuːl /

noun

1. (in the 18th and 19th centuries) a woman's small bag or purse, usually in the form of a pouch with a drawstring and made of net, beading, brocade, etc
2. a variant of reticle

Word History and Origins

Origin of reticule¹

1720–30; < French réticule < Latin rēticulum reticle

Word History and Origins

Origin of reticule¹

C18: from French réticule , from Latin rēticulum reticle

Example Sentences

“Well, Mrs. Minturn just sat there with her hands in a bunch until Mrs. Cranston reached down for her reticule, which was just a whisker away from me. She handed her some money.”

From Literature

Gathering “what silver she could crowd into her old-fashioned reticule”—a handbag with a drawstring—she “then Jumped into the chariot with her servant girl Sukey,” said Paul Jennings.

From Literature

She dispensed intelligence and irony as if each were fresh herbs in a reticule she kept tied to the belt of her dress.

From New York Times

They were often called lady apples, as they could slide into a purse or reticule without producing an unsightly bump – perfect for today’s lunchbox.

From The Guardian

The first lady, “caught up what silver she could crowd into her old-fashioned reticule, and then jumped into the chariot with her servant girl Sukey, and Daniel Carroll, who took charge of them,” Jennings wrote.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• chain
• grid
• net
• organization
• structure
• system
• web