cutpurse

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   historical: a thief who steals purses or valuables from people in public, especially by cutting a purse from its fastening

   The cutpurse slipped through the market crowd with the stolen wallet hidden beneath his coat.

From Middle English cutte-purs, a compound of cut + purse. Purses were once commonly suspended from a belt or girdle, and the thief could sever the cord or strap to take one. The name later covered pickpockets more generally.

Topics