purser
PUR-ser
/ˈpɜːr.sər/
An officer on a ship who keeps accounts, manages financial matters, and oversees passenger administration.
Combines financial accounting with chief guest-services administration on passenger vessels.
The story behind the word. From Anglo-French 'porser', from 'purse'. The purser was historically the man in charge of the ship's money purse, paying the crew and keeping voyage expense records.
Word relationships
- paymaster: 'Paymaster' focuses purely on military or official payroll, whereas a 'purser' manages guest finances and administrative services.
- bursar: 'Bursar' is used in academic and university settings rather than ships.
Commonly confused with
- purchaser: A 'purchaser' is anyone who buys goods, whereas a 'purser' is a ship's financial officer.
Word family
- pursers (noun): Plural form of purser.
Collocations
- chief purser
- purser's office
- purser's desk
- consult the purser
Example sentences
- "If you wish to exchange your currency or report a lost item, please report to the purser." Maritime novel
- "The chief purser stored the ship's financial ledger in the onboard safe before docking." Ship history
Memory hook
The person who holds the PURSE on a ship is the PURSER. PURSER = PURSE keeper.
When not to use
Do not use for land-based bank tellers or standard accountants.
Fun facts
- In the Royal Navy, pursers were historically nicknamed 'slopseller' because they also sold clothing ('slops') to sailors.
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