A small bag or purse, especially a liturgical pouch used in religious ceremonies to hold sacred items like Eucharist wafers.
From Medieval Latin 'bursa' (purse), borrowed into Old English through church Latin; originally referred to any money purse but became specialized for religious use.
In Catholic church ceremonies, a burse is a fancy embroidered pouch that holds the corporal (the cloth under the Eucharist)—it's basically history's fanciest pencil case!
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